In 2016, German record label Habib Funk unearthed the work of legendary Algerian composer Ahmed Malek with a reissue of a collection from his extensive catalogue of movie scores.
Today, the revolutionary label once again celebrates Malek’s extraordinary talent with a documentary commemorating his life and work.
Entitled Planet Malek, the Habibi Funk-produced film takes viewers to Malek’s hometown of Algiers, to the humble apartment where Malek lived and composed a bulk of his best-known tracks. His daughter Hénia now lives to tell tales of her legendary father—his eccentric style, his pride of his Berber heritage, and her childhood memories listening to his tracks in his makeshift home studio.
Through the eyes of his closest friends, the film trails Malek’s life, and doesn’t leave behind the struggles that the composer faced prior to embarking on his extensive and ultra-remarkable music career.
“Ahmed becomes very present despite his physical absence on this planet.” says Habibi Funk co-founder Jannis Stuertz
The 20-minute documentary, directed by French-Algerian DJ and filmmaker Paloma Colombe is a rare look into the forgotten hero who’s described as an Algerian musical ambassador by the generation that witnessed his rise in a post-colonial Algeria through the 70s and 80s—leaving you with a unique feeling, both melancholic and inspiring.
The film is currently available to watch on Apple Music and will see a larger release on all major platforms on January 18.
