Messa travels through Morocco in search of folk tales

The idea of doing something with folk tales had been on Messa’s mind for some time, she explains. “My grandmother was a natural storyteller. Every evening after dinner, she would tell her children a nice story to end the day on a positive note. And on days when there was no food in the house, she would tell them an exciting story to distract them.”

Folk tales are not just meant to entertain; they also contain a life lesson. “For example, about how you treat other people,” says Messa. She felt the need to document this oral tradition. “The art of storytelling is disappearing. Why is that? I don’t know exactly. But I suspect the arrival of television and the internet has something to do with it.”

In the third year of her bachelor’s degree, Messa decided not to do an internship. Instead, she embarked on a travel project, which she funded herself. Over the course of six weeks, she travelled to seven places in northern Morocco: Tangier, Tétouan, Quaa Asserasse, Al Hoceima, Oujda, Fez and Chefchaouen. Her father accompanied her as an interpreter.

In each place, Messa met a storyteller. Sometimes through her father’s network, and sometimes with the help of local residents who helped her find a suitable storyteller. “People were so helpful and friendly! That’s something I’ll always remember.”

Storytellers don’t just talk. They also use a lot of body language, Messa recalls. “Sometimes they even start singing! That’s how they draw you into the story. They spark the imagination of their audience and help them visualise the story.”

Messa recorded the stories, sometimes audio only and sometimes on video as well. “As an animator, I don’t just collect stories, I collect people too. I’m interested in how people move, talk and look. I’m always thinking: maybe I can use something from that for a character.”

Messa explains that it was the combination of storytelling, film and drawing that led her to study Animation Design. “At the time, I had already been working as a medical assistant for four years. It was a good and ‘safe’ profession, but I couldn’t see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I had always been drawn to art. Online, I followed young Moroccan artists, among others. They inspired me to start drawing more myself. But I realised I wasn’t making much progress. I felt like something was missing.”

Since starting her studies at ArtEZ, Messa feels she has developed enormously as an artist. “I used to be mainly focused on making sure my work looked beautiful. Now I put the story at the centre. What is it that I want to convey? I learned to think this way in Zwolle. And as a result, I now make different work.”

She gives an example. “Last semester, I made Niet lekker in mijn vel, a two-minute animated film. It is about the constant pursuit of physical self-improvement that many women experience. They want different hair, a different nose, new clothes, for example. In the animation, the character kills a beautiful woman. She then ‘sheds’ her skin: she literally puts on the other woman’s skin to make herself feel more beautiful.”

The trip to Morocco did not initially result in an animated film, but in a booklet of folk tales. “It was quite a challenge to make, because I don’t really like writing,” says Messa. “But the writing process taught me to think very carefully about what I want to convey, and how I can do that.”

The trip and the booklet also serve as research for Messa’s graduation project. “That’s when I will animate a Moroccan folk tale.”

In the future, Messa wants to create more animations based on folk tales and share them online. “I would also like to develop a Tamazight language course using animations, for Moroccan children in the Netherlands.”

Messa encourages other students to travel if they have the opportunity. “Of course, you can find a lot of information online. But the experience of travelling is so different. You’re surrounded by real life. You visit new places and meet new people. It’s incredibly inspiring!”

This story is part of a series about studying abroad. Read the stories of Anne-Roos Albers, Freek Domburg and Tijl Schutz.