Maurice el Medioni
Notes of Exile
A music documentary

Virtuoso pianist Maurice El Medioni (b. 1928 in Algeria- 2024) was a forgotten musician when, at the age of 70, he gained his recognition and became an international icon of world music. Regarded by many as a symbol of multiculturalism and grandfather of Rai, Maurice embraces all the new sounds and rhythms he encountered , without losing his identity. He creates music that connects cultures, genres, people and places

The Team

Avi Bohbot | Producer, director and scriptwriter who founded Chaos Films as an impact venture, to inspire actions for positive change. Awarded with Award of Hope, Truth Seeker.

Yvonne Kahan | Founder of the music agency Olamale, international booking agency. Directed number of documentaries for museums, tv and educational institutions.

In the making

We have been accompanying and documenting Maurice el Medioni since 2009 in internationally. Through the story of Maurice's life and diverse music and lyrics, we tell the story of his career before and after exile , while the last living witnesses are still here. A new generation of musicians are inspired by the great master and through them his music lives on. We will be showing the impact of Maurice's revolutionary music from the 50 ies to the present day.

The documentary

We will use the visual and musical wealth at our disposal to create a cinematic language adapted to the spirit of the project, utilizing archival films from Algeria, professional television archives and personal collections by the artist himself. The film offers a documented musical and personal journey throughout a century, from accompanying the most prominent Jewish and Moslem artists in North Africa to his late solo career - releasing several albums receiving great critics and the BBC prize for Cross culture, appearing as headliner in international world and jazz festivals and clubs in great world music fusion.