READINGS FOR WRITING - Entertainment

Ouarzazate
[1] Ouarzazate is a desert town at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. More than half of its residents
rely on the film industry for jobs. The town attracts Hollywood and European filmmakers for its landscape and
picture-perfect locations. Its Kasbah, with its red and brown mud houses and narrow streets, is one of these
locations. It has been chosen by many US and British movie makers as a location for big budget films such as
“Gladiators” and “Kingdom of Heaven”.
[2] The cinema has brought so many benefits to Ouarzazate. Its residents have long depended on the
film industry for jobs. They may work as technicians, sound engineers or decorators, but they are mainly given
unimportant roles as extras. Mbarka, her husband, and their five children have all appeared in Western films as
extras. Mbarka has been in so many Hollywood films over the past 20 years that she cannot remember most of
them. She does not even know the name of the last one she appeared in, dressed in the elaborate costume of an
ancient Egyptian. “I was in the film for 15 days. It was about religion. My son, Azzedine, knows its name,”
said Mbarka.
[3] People of Ouarzazate are thankful to the foreign film industry for offering them jobs. For
example, Kingdom of Heaven, a $180 million US production, provided eight months of work for 2800 people.
“When the cinema comes here, we are happy,” said Azzedine who has appeared in movies since he was
seven. When there’s no movie in town, he doesn’t seek any other job; he doesn’t want to miss a film
opportunity though he is not well paid. In fact, inexperienced Moroccan extras get as little as $15 per day. Those
with experience earn more; they get about $24 per day or as much as $60. Inexperienced European extras, on
the other hand, get about $40 per day. This has led to complaints of discrimination by some
Ouarzazate residents.
[4] Abdelhaq Ouzzine, for example, considers himself an actor and wants to be treated like one. He is proud
of his relationship with the cinema; his father appeared as an extra in the classic film Lawrence of Arabia more
than forty years ago. “The problem we have in Ouarzazate is that we are actors but we get paid as extras,” he
said. “If we complain, they may not employ us again,” he further added. Ouzzine explains that when he played
the role of Cain, he only got $24 per day. “This was an actor’s role,” he said, “but I kept my mouth shut; we
have no one to defend our rights.”
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The story of a talented Humorist – Gad Elmaleh

[1] Born in Casablanca on April 19, 1971, Gad Elmaleh is an actor and comedian of Moroccan-French
nationality. He speaks fluently both French and Moroccan Arabic as he was raised in a household that gave
him access to a mix of cultural influences. He was educated in Morocco, first at the Georges Bizet School and
later at Lycée Lyautey in Casablanca. In 1988, he moved to Montreal, Canada, where he studied political
sciences for a year. He also worked on radio and started writing humorous stories which he performed in
nightclubs. He soon discovered that he had a talent for entertaining people. This launched him on a career
which continues today.
[2] Gad Elmaleh has had roles in a number of films and has enjoyed success as a stand-up comedian. His talents
also include singing and voice-overs for animated films. His first cinema role was in 1996 in “Salut Cousin!”, a
film by Algerian screenwriter and director Merzak Allouache. His first one-man show, “Décalages”, based on
his own life, was performed at the Palais des Glaces in 1997.
[3] Following the success of “Décalages”, Gad Elmaleh's second one-man show “La Vie Normale” proved to
be a huge success. In 2005, Elmaleh returned to the stage with a new style in “L’autre c’est moi”, in which he
interacted with the audience and improvised his dialogue. In 2006, he was awarded the “Chevalier des Arts
et des Lettres” by the French Minister of Culture and was voted “The Funniest Person in France.”
[4] Gad Elmaleh performed in Montreal and Casablanca, before taking his shows to France, Belgium and
Switzerland in 2007. As part of the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in July 2007, Elmaleh presented his
latest production, “Papa est en Haut” for the first time. In December 2007, the show made history when all
tickets were sold out at L’Olympia in Paris for seven consecutive weeks.
[5] In 2009, Elmaleh wrote, produced and acted in the film Coco which was another great success. It was based
on one of his one-man show “La Vie Normale”. In 2011, the actor had a role in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris
and appeared in the film The Adventures of Tintin. No doubt, fans are looking forward to future shows by the
Moroccan-born actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh.
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The story of Choumicha Chafai
[1] Choumicha Chafai, the most popular expert in Moroccan cuisine, is one of those famous people who are
recognized by their first name alone. Yet, she disliked her name when she was a child. “I was the only girl with
this name in the neighbourhood and at school,” she argued. As she grew up, she learned to accept it and like it.
Now it has become a brand name.
[2] Choumicha is the daughter of a farmer from Sidi Hajjaj. She was born in 1972 in Sidi Kacem but she grew up
in Casablanca, where she studied sciences at high school. Afterwards, she got a degree in communication and
marketing and worked as a costume designer for advertisements and films.
[3] In 1992, she appeared on 2M for the first time as an assistant in a quiz show called “Le mot juste”. In 2000, a
2M director suggested that she should present a program about the Moroccan cuisine. “Cooking? I have this in
my blood!” She exclaimed. So, she started up her first program about cooking, “Ch’hiwate Choumicha”. Three
years later, she launched a second TV program entitled “Ch’hiwate Bladi’’. She travelled throughout Morocco in
search for recipes from the Moroccan regional heritage. She improved her knowledge through reading
cookery books, watching cookery programs on TV, and of course through practice. “I attended my
grandmother’s cookery school,” she said jokingly. “She is a mine of recipes, advice and values,” she added.
[4] Choumicha soon became a TV star not only in Morocco but also abroad, especially in the Maghreb and
Western Europe. She is fond of and knowledgeable about the Mediterranean cuisine. That is why she is often
present, as a guest or as an expert, in many TV cookery programs on famous foreign TV channels such as
Babel TV, TF1, Cuisine Plus and Arte. Besides, Choumicha has published more than thirty cookery books in
Arabic and French. In 2005, she launched her own magazine “Saveurs du Maroc et d’ailleurs” which sold about
20, 000 copies.
[5] Choumicha has thousands of fans in Morocco and abroad. This makes her very happy. “Love and
recognition from the public are the source of my happiness,” she says. It’s no surprise that in 2009 she was
selected among the top 100 celebrities in Morocco by Jeune Afrique magazine. In 2013, she was elected the best
chef in the Arab world by Sayidaty magazine. It is true that Choumicha was quite lucky to get into the world of
cooking, but she really worked hard to prove herself.
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The story of Joanne K. Rowling -the writer of Harry Potter

[1] Joanne K. Rowling is one of the most popular modern writers. She is famous for writing the Harry
Potter series, which have gained international attention and have won many prizes. Besides, she has recently
published a book for adults named ‘The Casual Vacancy’.
[2] Rowling was born in England in 1965. During her childhood she was always interested in writing
stories, and she used to narrate stories to her younger sister, Diane. Rowling studied French at university and got
a degree in 1986. After graduation she worked as a secretary for a while, but she quitted as she wasn’t happy
with her job. Later, she moved to Portugal to teach English. While there, she got married with a Portuguese TV
journalist in 1992. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Jessica, the marriage ended in divorce.
[3] Rowling then joined her sister in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she started writing her first book. At that
time, she was going through difficult times. She was unemployed and lived on state benefits. she also had to
take care of her baby while pursuing writing. In fact, she completed her first novel in different cafés,
accompanied by her baby.
[4] For Rowling, success didn’t come easily. Her first work was turned down by many publishers.
However, she managed to find one to publish “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and a success story
began! Copies of the book were sold in millions. Actually, she didn’t expect such a success. She said,” I thought
I’d written something that a handful of people might quite like. So this has been something of a shock”.
[5] The Harry Potter seven books have won multiple awards, including ‘The British Book Awards,
Children’s Book of the Year’ and the ‘Smarties Prize’. In addition, they have sold more than 400 million copies
and have been translated into over 60 languages. They have also been made into films. Furthermore, her last
four books are the fastest- selling books in history.
[6] Thanks to the books, films and products bearing Harry Potter images, Rowling has become one of the
richest people in the world. Indeed, she is considered the first person to become a multi-millionaire from writing
books. She is also known as a strong financial supporter of many associations, NGOs and charities. But above
all, she is credited with getting an entire generation of children interested in reading again. In 2010, she
was named the “Most Influential Woman in Britain”.
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