Saturday afternoon I was transported to another culture through music. Each film shown in the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco was a story of people searching for community and their voice. Whether it was in Tunisia or Morocco, hip hop, or sacred traditional Islamic chants, the groups were all searching for love in community or a connection with their past as they searched for their future.

Heart and Soul by filmmaker Molka Mahdaoui is a spiritual music journey about the rise of the successful Tunisian sacred music group. Throughout the movie the founder of the group, Ahmed Jelman, lit up the screen with his passionate love for Allah through song. The connection between the musicians was evident in the singing of the Hezb Al-latif, an Islamic chant or blessing.

Qatar Al Nadar is as much a political story as a story of community. A group of young dancers try to connect with their heritage which they feel has been lost. What is amazing is these young dancers taught themselves the traditional Palestinian stomp dance, Debkeh. The troupe is located in Beit Safara, one of the only Arab neighborhoods remaining in West Jerusalem. The highlight of this short film is when the troupe performs for their family who see for the first time that they are serious about their dance.

In a brief question and answer time after the premiere, the filmmaker, Muayad Mousa Alayan said he happened upon the dance troupe while teaching a film class in Jerusalem. After he met a few of the troupe’s members he was convinced he needed to tell their story.

Technical difficulties were a constant disappointment to the audience viewing El Tanbura: Capturing a Vanishing Spirit. Although the audience wanted to enjoy the film, it was stopped twice and the sound was out for half of the film. If not for the sub-titles, more people would have walked out. It was, despite the frustrations, a moving story of a community’s attempt to resurrect Egyptian folk music in Port Said, Egypt.

All three films were USA premiers and seemed to be enjoyed by all; however, it was Hip Hop in Morocco that created the buzz of the night. It was also a story of community, a group of hip hop artists trying to authenticate their art through organizing a hip hop festival in Morocco. This was Hip Hop in Morocco’s California premiere.