RÉSONANCE, a transmedia project by Rym Maincer, connects Algerian and New Caledonian colonial legacies through innovative storytelling, highlighting youth identity and cultural memory in the Maghreb-Pacific context.
RÉSONANCE, a new transmedia work by Rym Maincer, is set to premiere at the University of New Caledonia on 29 September 2026. The project explores the intertwined histories and identities of Kabyle and Kanak youth, using fiction to address the enduring impact of colonial legacies between Algeria and the Pacific. Maincer, originally from Tizi-Ouzou and now based in Nouméa, brings a unique perspective shaped by her own cross-cultural experience.
The narrative follows Rose, a young Kanak woman deeply connected to her ancestral land and culture, and Mahdi, a descendant of Algerians deported to New Caledonia after the 1871 Kabyle uprising against French rule. Their stories reflect the complex interplay of rootedness and displacement, as both characters navigate inherited trauma and seek new ways to imagine their futures.
Addressing Historical Trauma Through Fiction
The creation of RÉSONANCE was influenced by the renewed tensions in New Caledonia in May 2024, which brought questions of memory and identity to the forefront. By choosing fiction, Maincer aims to provide a space for younger generations to confront and transform the wounds of the past. The project highlights how descendants of Algerian deportees, often referred to as "Arabes de Nouvelle-Calédonie," have seen their Amazigh heritage become increasingly invisible over time. RÉSONANCE seeks to restore this lost cultural specificity by placing it in dialogue with Kanak realities.
Through the evolving relationship between Rose and Mahdi, the work explores themes of care, mutual recognition, and the complementary paths of territorial rootedness and mobility. Their journeys illustrate how understanding and acknowledging each other's histories can become a catalyst for healing and shared destiny.
Innovative Transmedia Approach and Regional Impact
RÉSONANCE breaks with traditional storytelling by combining hybrid animation, literature, original music, and generative artificial intelligence. Conceived as a Live Storytelling Event, the project blends 3D visual creation, documentary archives, and personal photography to create a distinctive aesthetic universe. Maincer's use of digital tools is a deliberate response to the need for cultural transmission in the digital age, arguing that regional and island identities must engage with new media to remain visible to younger generations.
The project was developed independently in Nouméa using a flexible "Pocket Studio" model. While leveraging generative technologies, RÉSONANCE also critically examines their biases. The creative process led Maincer to reconnect with her own Amazigh language, integrating Tifinagh script into Mahdi's narrative arc. The work has already gained international attention, with selections at major festivals and integration into the Pass Culture NC in New Caledonia. It is also competing at the Festival International du Court Métrage de Timimoun in Algeria and the FINIFA festival in Agadir, which focuses on Amazigh cinema.
RÉSONANCE stands as a significant cultural initiative linking North Africa and the Pacific, offering new perspectives on memory, identity, and the future of regional cultures in a globalized, digital world.
