Fez Festival: The Encounters

The Fez Festival isn't just about sacred music. Each year there's a conference held in the mornings where experts from around the world are invited to discuss topics around the theme of the Festival. This year the theme is The Initiate's Journey: from Mystery to Revelation.

Put together by Director Nadia Benjelloun (pictured above with Jordi Savall), the Encounters' final day (Wednesday) explored the Mythical Journey and what exactly it is that pushes people (both real and mythical) to venture into the unknown - those such as Ulysses, Dante, Christopher Columbus, Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Amundsen, Hillary and Tensing.

Barbara Cassin explored the Odyssey and the day of return

In a beautiful setting against the backdrop of the Batha Museum gardens, the sessions have been well attended by people from around the world. So popular are these sessions that one audience member informed us that she has been coming to the Encounters for over five years.

Two of the translators (above) and an audience member listening (below)

The problems of translation have been overcome by a team of very talented translators, who, working from small booths, are providing simultaneous accounts in English, French and Arabic. Even though there are odd problems with the transmission, overall the system has worked well.

To see all the Fez Festival 2010 stories on The View from Fez, click HERE!