Spotlight.
Kal Elhajoui
INTRODUCTION
Kal Elhajoui a Skye based filmmaker, producer and community practitioner whose work explores culture, music and community life on the island.
Kal is a producer of The Music That Holds Us, his debut feature-length documentary, which examines the role of music in Skye’s communities and reflects on five decades of cultural and social change. Developed through the Skye-based production company Over the Bridge Films, has been licensed to BBC ALBA. And the documentary features variety of Skye based musicians. Alongside his filmmaking and community work, Kal presents The Culture with Kal on Radio Skye, exploring culture on Skye and beyond through personal conversations and stories.
INTERVIEW
How did you get into your creative practice? What initially inspired you?
I grew up in a rural area, and what you learn living in those kinds of areas is that if you want something to happen, you have to do it yourself. I think I've always been drawn to creating spaces where people come together, I'm drawn to themes of place, belonging, and cultural preservation — specifically, how communities hold together in the face of change. With empathy, you can find the universal within the most specific of cultural practices.
With The Music That Holds Us, the throughline is intergenerational continuity: how tradition survives not in museums or archives, but in the hands of people who carry it forward. The film asks: what happens when a community's music is all that's holding it together? That is not a question that only resonates with the Gaelic community of a wee Scottish island but can be expanded to so many communities globally.
festivals, community events, music sessions, conversations that feel like they matter. That's what led me to events management and eventually to documentary. I've spent years coordinating events, but my creative practice really shifted when I realised I wanted to tell the stories behind those gatherings.
I'm based on the Isle of Skye now, and the inspiration for The Music That Holds Us came from watching the community here navigate housing pressures, language loss, and cultural change. We wanted to capture that resilience. And I wanted to do it with the community, not just about them. The trust they gave us is what made the film possible.
What themes do you tend to interrogate in your creative practices?
I'm drawn to themes of place, belonging, and cultural preservation, specifically, how communities hold together in the face of change. With empathy, you can find the universal within the most specific of cultural practices.
With The Music That Holds Us, the throughline is intergenerational continuity: how tradition survives not in museums or archives, but in the hands of people who carry it forward. The film asks: what happens when a community's music is all that's holding it together? That is not a question that only resonates with the Gaelic community of a wee Scottish island but can be expanded to so many communities globally.
What is your favourite project you’ve ever worked on and why?
It's got to be this film. It's been nearly four years in the making, and it has been a labour of love often hard, always rewarding. There have been moments where I've thought: why am I doing this? And then we showed a rough cut to a room full of islanders, and they cheered, cried, and stayed talking for hours after. That's when I knew it wasn't just our film anymore. It belonged to the community.
What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into your creative practices?
Be kind to yourself. There will be no shortage of people who ignore and reject you. Organisations that you expect support from will let you down. You will have days when you get multiple rejections and weeks when you are deafened by silence. You will be wracked by self-doubt. You will make mistakes, how can you not when you are learning the process? So, be kind to yourself. Celebrate the smallest of victories and remember how far you have come. Look back to look forward. Build with people, not just for them. The best work happens when you're part of the community you're representing. And don't underestimate the power of a small, committed team. We're a team of three on this film, and we made it work because we believed in it. And finally, there will be people who say it can't be done. Let that be fuel.
What are you currently working on?
So for next month I’m excited to be working in partnership with Take One Action and We Are Here Scotland to curate a hybrid event in Skye The Spaces In Between on Friday 4th September, via Summer Quay Brae Portree. It’s going to be a night of short films, poetry and music exploring the relationship between Scotland’s Black and Global Majority communities and the land, and considering who gets to feel they belong in it. I think this is going to be a very special night, and I hope this is the start of a continued partnership between everyone involved.
We're also in the final stages of post-production on The Music That Holds Us. The film is picture-locked, we've secured a broadcast deal with BBC ALBA, and we're now finishing the sound mix and colour grade. Alongside that, I'm working with Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations, running community Hubs across Skye, which has been really rewarding. The community hubs work has been a reminder that the same things that make a film work listening, trust, showing up are what make communities work too I am planning screenings across Skye and the Highlands and Islands, and exploring distribution opportunities in the UK and Ireland. It's a busy time, but it feels good. I can’t believe how far we have come.