Paul Bowles

The documentary explores the cultural memory of Morocco through the testimonies of artistic figures such as Paul Bowles, Mohamed Choukri or Mohamed Mrabet.

The American composer and author Paul Bowles was a man with a great deal of charisma and influence. When he moved to Tangier, Morocco, in 1949, half the world followed him to the enigmatic city. His marriage with author Jane Bowles was a loving relationship of opposites, even though both were homosexual. Based on exclusive interviews with Bowles shortly before his death interwoven with anecdotes recounted by his friends and co-workers, the film portrays a daring and visionary life as well as a relationship shaped by an interdependency that encompassed much more than sexuality.

One of the most enigmatic artists of the 20th century, writer, composer and wanderer Paul Bowles (1910-1999) is profiled by a filmmaker who has been obsessed with his genius since age nineteen. Set against the dramatic landscape of North Africa, the mystery of Bowles (famed author of The Sheltering Sky) begins to unravel in Jennifer Baichwal's poetic and moving Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles. Rare, candid interviews with the reclusive Bowles--at home in Tangier, as well as in New York during an extraordinary final reunion with Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs--are intercut with conflicting views of his supporters and detractors. At the time in his mid-eighties, Bowles speaks with unprecedented candor about his work, his controversial private life and his relationships with Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, the Beats, and his wife and fellow author Jane Bowles.

The film's principal character is Jean Neuenschwander, who left his home in French-speaking Switzerland in 1956 for Canada, where he was soon appointed manager of a large luxury hotel in Vancouver. In 1971, he bought a house in Tangiers where he settled down a few years later, at the age of 51, for a cosy and opulent retirement. “My Sweet Little Ass” is the account of his personal life, which Jean Neuenschwander clearly takes delight in recounting. He is a likeable hedonist who manages his affairs and his pleasures with considerable skill. From this somewhat comfortable existence, Simon Bischoff subtly extracts a group portrait of the homosexual subculture of Tangiers, which for some has the power of myth, particulary when frequented by characters such as Paul Bowles.

Three short films based on short stories by expatriate American novelist Paul Bowles capture the sense of loss and alienation so common in his works. "Merkala Beach" follows the dissolution of a friendship after a pretty face enters the picture; "Call at Corazon" traces a newlywed couple's challenges while cruising up the Amazon River; and "Allal" chronicles the extraordinary transformation of an Indian boy who befriends a cobra.

This documentary chronicles the life of expatriate writer Paul Bowles through archival footage, photos and interviews with the author, who talks about his writing, his friendships with artists such as Tennessee Williams and Aaron Copland and more. Shot in Tangier, Morocco (Bowles's long time home), this revealing portrait sketches out Bowles's rebellious life story, including his love relationships with men and women, his drug use and his music.

Made in the sunset years of Paul Bowles’ life, the film sees the eccentric author and composer reminisce on how he ended up in Morocco.

An American couple drift toward emptiness in postwar North Africa.

This BBC documentary "The Stones in Morocco" traces their summer 1989 visit to Tangier. A three days stay in the magical northern city of Morocco, to record live sessions with The Master Musicians of Jajouka in Tangier's Palais Ben Abbou, to finish give birth to the "Continental drift" song from the "Steel Wheels" album.

Documentary covering author Paul Bowles' time living in Morocco.