Aïni Iften, a French actress and storyteller of Kabyle origin, was present at the second edition of the festival Les Murmures de la Villa, this weekend in Carros. She shares the sources of her inspiration.
It is in the garden of Villa Barbery that children and adults come to relax, close their eyes, and listen to the recited tales. A bucolic atmosphere where everyone lets their imagination run free. Calm, nature, and a view of the mountains transport the audience. Some fall asleep, others find peace, while others diligently follow the story.
For Aïni Iften, it is through storytelling that one conveys the story of their life, but also their culture. “As a child, my mother told me stories in Kabyle, like The First Tears of the World. They are actually the tears of the little orphan. My mother told me that one time, the moon descended to comfort him when he was crying. It is those tears that left the dark traces on the moon,” recounts Aïni Iften.
“When I lost my parents, these stories came to mind. Initially, I wondered about the transmission, through the Kabyle language that my mother used for storytelling, but also through my father’s gestures. Non-verbal communication also tells the culture and history of a person,” she continues.
The idea of paying tribute to her parents thus came to her. “It’s a way for me to talk about this culture through the lens that is storytelling. I’ve been working as an actress for 30 years in Avignon and elsewhere in France. It’s a profession linked to storytelling anyway,” explains Aïni Iften.
Born in the Parisian suburbs, the question of identity also arose: am I Kabyle, or French?” she adds. Later, at the birth of my son, I faced the question of transmission again: what should I teach him? You realize it’s a weaving of daily life and what you’ve been able to learn, notably through tales,” concludes the actress.
