Dbagh: Documenting the Tanneries of Marrakech for an Archaeological Research Project
Marrakech, Morocco
Abdellah Azizi, Moroccan photographer and filmmaker based in Marrakech, photographed and filmed the historic tanneries of Marrakech between 2023 and 2026 for Dbagh, an international archaeological and anthropological research project. The work was commissioned by Dr. Thomas Reitmaier, and the project brings together researchers from Europe and Morocco.
The brief
Dbagh studies the tanners’ quarter of Marrakech, where leather has been made for almost a thousand years. The research documents the knowledge handed down between generations of tanners, along with the tools and structures of the craft. Azizi’s assignment was to document the tanneries and the people who work in them through photographs and one edited documentary film.
A project of many visits
The research unfolded over several years, so this was not a single shoot. Azizi visited the tanneries many times between 2023 and 2026 as the work progressed.
The challenges
Filming inside the tanneries of Marrakech is not easy. The team focused on one old tannery house, and over time its workers welcomed them. The tanners also meet visitors every day, so getting them to open up, and to see the team as different from the tourists passing through, took time. That time is what allowed the work to go beyond the usual tourist clichés. Even with one main tannery, visits to others were needed, and each time it took effort to avoid the stories visitors expect. Choosing the right photographs for this story was a challenge of its own.
