Edge of the West

Directed by Arnan Zafrir

This hour long film documents the different traditions and day to day life of the Jews of Morocco. The second third of the film consists mostly of religious and musical traditions that range from Rosh Hashana prayers, the Shabbat Kiddush, the reading of psalms at a graveyard, to Purim festivities in which children act out a Purim play and the book of Esther is read using the local tropes. There is also a segment which features the traditional Henna ceremonies before a wedding. This tradition includes dressing up the bride-to-be in expensive clothing and jewelry, dancing, spreading henna on the palm of the participant's hands, and singing. The specific song that is sung during this segment is an excerpt of the traditional henna ceremony song Abiadi Yana.

Complete film on Youtube, courtesy of the Steven Spielberg Jewish Film Archive Virtual Cinema: