The 20th edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival kicks off today November 24 and will run until December 2, 2023, with seven AFAC-supported films featured in the various sections of its program.
The festival’s Official Competition section will see the participation of three films. All three films revolve around struggles, whether social, personal or a mix of intimate and historical. From Palestine, “Bye Bye Tiberias” by Lina Soualem follows the director as she questions her mother on her life’s bold choices. “The Mother of All Lies” by Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir follows a young Moroccan woman in her search for truth that tangles with a web of lies in her family’s history. The third film, “Hounds” by Moroccan director Kamal Lazraq, exposes the struggles of Hassan and Issam, father and son, during a long adventurous night in the working-class suburbs of Casablanca, as they find themselves in charge of disposing of the body of a man they were supposed to kidnap.
Competing in the Gala screenings section of the festival is “Deserts” by Faouzi Bensaidi from Morocco, where comedy meets road movie with Mehdi and Hamid, two mercenaries during an unforeseen and mystical journey.
Two other films will showcase in the Special Screenings section of the festival: “Machtat” by Sonia Ben Slama from Tunisia, which depicts the complex and painful reality of Fatma and her daughters, Najah and Wafa, who work as "machtat" (traditional musicians who play at wedding ceremonies). On its part, “Goodbye Julia” by Sudanese filmmaker Mohammed Kordofani, portrays the complicated relationship and differences between Northern and Southern Sudanese communities.
The seventh film, “Indivision” by Moroccan director Leila Kilani, will take part in the Panorama of Moroccan Cinema section. The film follows Lina who lives with her father Anis and grandmother Amina in a decrepit mansion over the hills of Tangier. Lina and Anis’ shared passion for birds will generate unpredictable events.
For the films’ screenings schedule and the full program, visit the festival’s official website.