ABSTRACT
The analyses of improvised sequences have brought to light a number of devices, including that of ‘directing from the inside’, with the director as actor of his own film. The most radical example is that of Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche, who so far has played the lead in all his feature films. Although his presence in WESH WESH, QU’EST-CE QUI SE PASSE? Can be justified by a perfectly legitimate commitment to a cast of amateurs, his status as both director and actor is actually an offshoot of a method in which there is an inherent possibility of improvisation. The first manifestation lies in the construction of his future roles. Although these represent the main characters, they are only rarely at the heart of the action and always maintain a certain distance, tinged with a degree of opacity. This presence/absence bolsters the apparent passivity and provides an ideal vantage point from which to orient the scenes-in-progress and make directorial choices without having to outline his underlying intentions. The movement that gravitates around the character played by Ameur-Zaïmeche allows him to be actor and director at the same time, within the movement of the performance itself, a strategy that has been implemented in a variety of ways throughout his films.
