HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara

As part of AL.FESTIVAL.2025, we are thrilled to present the Berlin premiere screening of HAIYU – Rebel Singer Mariem Hassan and the Struggle for a Free Western Sahara, a moving documentary about the legendary Sahrawi singer Mariem Hassan. A conversation with ALFILM and the filmmakers will follow the screening (in English).   

Synopsis:

In the vast Sahara desert, the voice of Mariem Hassan still resonates—a voice that gave hope to a people in struggle and strength to Africa’s last colony, Western Sahara. Her life and music, shaped by decades of displacement and resistance, became both a source of comfort and a tool for liberation.

Through family testimonies, friends, poets, soldiers, and fellow musicians, HAIYU weaves Mariem’s personal story with the collective fight for freedom. Her songs—full of history, poetry, and resilience—take center stage, while archival footage and intimate anecdotes paint a vivid portrait of a woman whose artistry transcended borders and inspired generations. 

Created in collaboration between Swedish collective RåFILM and Saharawi Voice from the Western Sahara refugee camps in Algeria, the film reflects Mariem’s rebellious spirit and the determination of a people still demanding their right to self-determination. The title Haiyu—Arabic for “to encourage”—captures the spirit of resilience at the heart of this story.