My name is Hacene, co-founder of the band Gibraltar, born in Tigzirt, Algeria and moved to the US in 1994. Before I moved, I was a student in Architecture in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria.

In 1997, at the same time when I was playing music with Kamel around Washington DC, I was attending classes in computer graphics at the Corcoran School of Art. Later, in 1999, I decided to stay in the arts and went to American University for a degree in graphic design and multimedia. I was a part-time student and worked part-time at the university but still played music wherever we found a gig..

In 2004, as I was finishing up with graphic design, the department where I worked at the university offered me a full scholorship to pursue a masters of my choice. I decided to go into film and video, which I completed in late 2005.

While at the university, I took classes in sound engeneering, sound recording, sound for film, directing and producing movies and documentaries, history of music, and any other topics that relate to music in general.

Now I am an independent musician and filmmaker; I record my own songs in my home studio and still enjoy performing live with the band. We are very active on the local washington DC music scene. check out our events page.

Recently I released a DVD of a documentary I produced and directed, which aired on a TV station from France throughout Europe and North Africa, as well as online in North America.
The documentary is about my origines as a Berber Kabyle from Algeria and takes the viewer on a journey through places where I grew up and the village where my family lived for generations. The DVD can be viewed in 3 languages: Berber, French, and English.

Check out the website to learn more: www.zenniastudio.com
And if you want to purchase the DVD, it is distributed by
www.filmbaby.com

Below is a clip from the documentary.