‘Changing Worlds in the Atlas Mountains’

Happy International Women’s Day. 

Before the pandemic, 130 million girls globally had no access to school. Covid has increased these numbers by a disturbing amount. Educating girls is one of the most significant ways to tackle the climate disaster. In 2019, we went to Morocco to make a short film about the importance of girls in rural areas getting an education. This story is now urgent — yet simple. We’d like to help get it told louder and wider. Our crowdfunded 'Changing Worlds in the Atlas Mountains’ will be re-edited — Changing Worlds is a universal tale of the need to educate more girls, globally.

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The full version of Bouteco’s original film and Kuba Nowak's moving cinematography is best enjoyed on the big screen.

Filmed and edited by Kuba Nowak
Produced by Juliet Kinsman
Music by Michael Blainey

Our short documentary filmed in Morocco, primarily at the Education for All boarding houses in Asni and on location in Atlas villages and Marrakech. It’s a universal story of hope, love and support as showcased by an inspiring NGO in rural Morocco which helps teenage girls access education.

Thanks to the work of British- and Moroccan-registered charity Education for All founded by Mike McHugo MBE of Kasbah du Toubkal eco lodge, over the last 10 years scores of girls who otherwise wouldn’t have continued their studies beyond the most basic of primary schooling, have been able to access a secondary education. Typically, girls who stay in the remote rural villages of the Atlas Mountains are obliged to marry as early as at the age of 13. By giving girls and young women this support it makes a dramatic difference to the wellbeing of our world — for all of us.

Length of film: Just over 20 minutes.
Languages: Interviews in English, Arabic, French, Berber, dialectical Arabic; English subtitles.
Budget: Final production costs £22,000 (crowdfunded through Kickstarter; donations also raised for EFA).

When women are educated:

  • Marriage comes later

  • Fewer, healthier children are born

  • Women live longer and contribute more to the economy

  • Equality in society improves

  • There is a better understanding of global warming, and women have the skills to cope with extreme weather changes

Ghita who is featured here has since passed her baccalauréat and has been awarded a full scholarship to study at SIST University Casablanca. We're all so happy and proud of this very wonderful young woman and it’s a reminder of just how incredible the work of Education for All and all charities that help girls from rural areas continue their studies.

Kuba has done the most incredible job of editing hours and hours of his beautiful footage, and navigating his way through interviews in four languages. We are eternally grateful to supremely-talented composer, Michael Blainey for scoring the original emotive music which is what really makes it sing.

Thank you to all the students who took part and also to Sonia Omar, who always had the wellbeing of the girls and their families front of mind — to have her watch the first edit and reply with this meant the world:

"Deeply touching, uplifting, thought-provoking, a window into another world, sensitive, heartwarming. It’s perfect. Thank you!"

We are starting to look at distribution (another steep learning curve facing us!) If you have any suggestions or connections for platforms, film festivals or education conferences you think might like to screen Kuba Nowak's gentle, touching, beautiful film which tells a story of love, support, and appreciation for the importance of educating young women, then please let us know.

A huge thank you to Education for All’s boarding houses for letting us spend time with these determined Berber women in the Atlas Mountains… These incredible homes looked after by dedicated housemothers have meant in the last 10 years scores of girls have been able to access a secondary education… Girls who otherwise might been forced to marry at the age of 13 and whose mothers, cousins and neighbours were lucky even to access the most basic primary education. Who knows what impact this will have on their futures, or the future of Morocco. But giving girls and young women the chance at secondary education only make a dramatic difference to the wellbeing of our world — for all of us. — Juliet Kinsman, BOUTECO founder and producer of the film.