Tarde de primavera en Fez.

-The mind separates us from animals.

-I don't know, my friends are mostly animals.

-You know, all evil in the world, is a punishment for our sexual deviances.

-What do you mean?

-What do I mean? Katrina, for example. You know hurricane Katrina? Why do you think god gave us the Katrina?

-I don't know. Why?

-Because of gay people.

-You think so?

-You like gay people?

-I don't care.

-What is good with gay people?

-I'll tell you one good thing, for instance. The more gays there are around, the easiest you can score with women. If all man are gay, all the women are for you, my friend.

-There is only one God, my friend.

-There is only one?

-Yes, Allah. That is the one God. Allah.

-And Allah gave us the Katrina because of the gays? He's not very nice, is he?

-Allah gives us rules to live by. If we don't follow them he can punish us. Like pig, for instance. Allah says we don't have to eat pig because pig is impure.

-I don't find pig impure. I find it pretty yummy, actually.

-Let me ask you a question. Where do you want to go when you die?

-I don't know.

-You don't know?

-Life is pretty hard at the moment. I'll see when I die.

-You have to choose. Where do you want to go, my friend? Heaven or hell?

-I want to go where the people I love are.










-I see you are organizing a showing of MILK, the film by Gus Van Sant.

-Yes, I haven't seen it yet. My friend says its wonderful.

-It's pretty brave to show it around here, isn't it?

-Well, people know what we are about. We'll have to make some adjustements with some sensibilities, but it's ok.

-Do you find some parallelisms with the plot in the film and the situation around here?

-I don't know, I'll have to see it.

-Yes, of course.

-But, you know? This is a very special moment. You know I met my arab boyfriend on a gay website? Things are happenning here in Fez. I don't know if we're talking about big things or about small things. But things are happenning and it's very exciting to be a part of it.













-Where are you from?

-I was born in France.

-Where were you raised?

-I was raised in Paris. But I've been travelling for a while. And now I'm here, in Morocco.

-Where have you been travelling?

-Well, I have been living for two years in Afganistan.

-Afganistan?

-Yes.

-How come? I mean, of all the possibilities...

-I had the chance to chose anyplace. I chose Afganistan. I worked there as a manager in a French Restaurant. It was hard. I once saw a bus explode and thirty people dying. Well, I didn't count them, I kow there were thirty because I read the paper the next day. Children and all. But I guess I needed a change. I was having a hard time in Paris.

-Women?

-No.

-Drugs?

-Yes.

-So to kick off drugs you go to Afganistan, huh?

-I figured if I could survive that I could survive anything.













-Hemos visto amapolas por aquí. Voy a plantar unas pocas. A ver si en un tiempo puedo volver y encontrar opio. Ahora vengo.










Las fotos las han hecho Paul Biehn y Omar Chennafi. Las fotos se me han desordenado un poco, así que no sé de quién es cuál. Perdonen las molestias.

Alaikum Salaam.