De jacht van Abdelkader Benali

In his debut novel Bruiloft aan zee (1996), Abdelkader Benali, Dutch author of Moroccan descent, introduces a protagonist who is a long-distance runner. This is an autobiographical element, as Benali is an ardent racer himself. Since recent years, he runs marathons, setting times that would become a professional athlete. He used these experiences for his novel De marathonloper. This short documentary shows Benali as a marathon runner, training in Morocco, and as a writer, conferring with his editor Peter Nijssen. The latter links up running and writing, as they both require fanaticism and tenacity befitting an endurance sport. Archive footage of new talent Benali cleaning in a butcher's shop and conversations about the origin of Bruiloft aan zee alternate with images of the laurelled author, taking Koran classes and travelling to his native Moroccan village to find inspiration for his new book.