Amal Ayouch (born 1966) is a Moroccan actress who since the late 1990s has performed in the French language both on stage and, above all, in film. In January 2015, she was honoured with an award at the African Women's Film Festival in
Brazzaville
Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
.
Ayouch has played a leading role in Morocco's ''Fondation des arts vivants'' (Living Arts Foundation).
Biography
Born in
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
in 1966, Amal Ayouch showed interest in acting from an early age, performing on stage at high school. When she was 18, she arrived in
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
where she studied to become a
pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
. While at university, in 1987 she joined a theatre group attached to the French literature department.
She began her film career thanks to another pharmacist, Hassan Benjelloun, who gave her an important part in ''Les Amis d'hier'' (1998). Soon afterwards,
Hakim Noury
Hakim Noury is a Morocco, Moroccan television and film director.
Filmography
*''Stolen Childhood (film), L'Enfance volée'' - The stolen childhood
* ''Le destin d’une Femme'' - The destiny of a woman
* ''Le marteau et l’enclume'' -
* ''Hist ...
invited her to star in ''Destin de Femme'' together with
Rachid El Ouali
Rachid El Ouali ( ar, رشيد الوالي; born April 3, 1965) is a Moroccan famous actor, producer, director and TV host.
Career
El Ouali started acting at the end of the 1980s. He showed proficiency in his major role in the drama TV serial ...
. Playing a woman who refused to submit to a difficult husband, she contributed to the film's success.
[
In 1999, she agreed to play a woman of loose morals in '']Ali Zaoua
''Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets'' is a 2000 Moroccan crime drama film that tells the story of several homeless boys living in Casablanca. It was awarded in the 2000 Stockholm Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival and in the 2000 Amiens In ...
'' directed by her cousin Nabil Ayouch
Nabil Ayouch (born 1 April 1969) is a Franco-Moroccan television and film director, producer, and writer. His films have screened at international film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and Montreal World Film Festival.
Early life
H ...
. Similar roles followed in Farida Belyazid's ''Casablanca, Casablanca'' (2002) and Chassan Benjelloun's ''Les lèvres du silence'' (2001) and Farida Belyazid's ''Casablanca, Casablanca'' (2002). She went on to star in Driss Chouika's ''Le jeu de l'amour'' (2006), allowing her to master a difficult role in intimate scenes with Younes Megri.[ She has also played in other successful films including '' Les Anges de Satan'' (2007).][
She appeared in two films directed by Nabil Lahlou, ''Les années de l'exil'' (2001) and ''Tabite or not Tabite'' (2004). It was also Lahlou who encouraged her to act on the stage, inviting her to appear in his theatrical productions, including ''Ophélie n’est pas Morte'', ''Les Tortues'', ''Antigone'', and ''En Attendant Godot''.][
]
Filmography
Cinéma
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayouch, Amal
1966 births
Actors from Casablanca
Moroccan film actresses
Moroccan stage actresses
Moroccan television actresses
Living people