لحسن سويسي ... صوت الأرض والشعب

Abstract

This project presents a visual portrait of the late Algerian poet LahcenSouissi, one of the prominentyetundocumentedvoices of Melhounpopularpoetry in Algeria. Despitehislimited media exposure and lack of formal records, Souissileft a lasting impact throughhisimprovisedpoems and deepconnectionwithhis local community in Bordj Bou Arreridj. The workseeks to explore the poet’shuman, cultural, and poetic dimensions through oral testimonies, archival images, personalspaces, and fragments of hisunpublishedpoems. By doingso, itaims to shed light on hispioneeringrole in preserving the oral heritage of the region and highlighting the cultural significance of Melhounpoetry as a reflection of collective memory and identity. The project adopts the narrative journalistic style, blending documentation withemotionalstorytelling, to bring the audience closer to a figure whomay not beremembered in books, but isdeeplyengraved in the memory of the people. Keywords: Popularpoetry, LahcenSouissi, Melhoun, oral heritage, cultural identity, visual portrait, Bordj Bou Arreridj, narrative journalism