The history of the cinema of Morocco dates back to "The Moroccan Goatherd" by
Louis Lumière
Louis Jean Lumière (5 October 1864 Besançon – 6 June 1948, Bandol) was a French engineer and industrialist who played a key role in the development of photography and cinema.
Early life and education
Lumière was one of four children of ...
in 1897. During the
French protectorate, films were produced and directed by French filmmakers, and in 1952,
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
directed his
Othello
''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...
in the historic city of
Essaouira. Since
independence in 1956, Moroccan film directors and producers have produced a growing number of films, some of which have been met with growing international success.
History
Cinema in Morocco has a long history, stretching back over a century to the filming of ''Le chèvrier Marocain'' ("The Moroccan Goatherd") by
Louis Lumière
Louis Jean Lumière (5 October 1864 Besançon – 6 June 1948, Bandol) was a French engineer and industrialist who played a key role in the development of photography and cinema.
Early life and education
Lumière was one of four children of ...
in 1897. Between that time and 1944, many foreign movies were shot in the country, especially in the
Ouarzazate
Ouarzazate (; ar, ورزازات, Warzāzāt, ; ary, وارزازات, Wārzāzāt; shi, label=Berber, ⵡⴰⵔⵣⴰⵣⴰⵜ, Warzazat), nicknamed ''the door of the desert'', is a city and capital of Ouarzazate Province in the region of Dr ...
area.
In the first half of the 20th century, Casablanca had many movie theaters, such as
Cinema Rialto
Cinema Rialto () is a movie theater built in 1929 in Casablanca, Morocco. It's one of the oldest cinemas in Morocco.
History
Construction was completed in 1929 according to the designs of the French architect Pierre Jabin. It was designed to s ...
,
Cinema Lynx and
Cinema Vox—the largest in Africa at the time it was built.
''
Salut Casa!'' (1952) was a propaganda film brandishing France's purported colonial triumph in its
civilizing mission
The civilizing mission ( es, misión civilizadora; pt, Missão civilizadora; french: Mission civilisatrice) is a political rationale for military intervention and for colonization purporting to facilitate the Westernization of indigenous pe ...
in the city.
In 1944, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), the nation's film
regulatory body
A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licensing and regulatin ...
, was established. Studios were also opened in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
.
In 1952,
Orson Welles' Othello
''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...
won the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
under the Moroccan flag. However, the festival's musicians did not play the
Moroccan national anthem, as no one in attendance, knew what it was. Six years later, Mohammed Ousfour would create the first Moroccan movie, ''Le fils maudit'' ("The Damned Son").
In 1968, the first Mediterranean Film Festival of Morocco was held in
Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
. In its current editions, the event is held in
Tetouan. This festival was followed in 1982 with the first national festival of cinema, which was held in Rabat. In 2001, the
International Film Festival of Marrakech
The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) ( ar, المهرجان الدولي للفيلم بمراكش, Amazigh ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ ) is an international film festi ...
(FIFM) started its yearly festival in
Marrakech
Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
.
Mostafa Derkaoui's 1973 film ''
About Some Meaningless Events'' () was screened twice in Morocco before it was banned under Hassan II.
''
Love in Casablanca'' (1991), starring
Abdelkrim Derkaoui and
Muna Fettou, was one of the first Moroccan films to deal with Morocco's complex realities and depict life in Casablanca with verisimilitude.
Bouchra Ijork's 2007
made-for-TV
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
film
''Bitter Orange'' achieved wide support among Moroccan viewers.
Nour-Eddine Lakhmari
Nour-Eddine Lakhmari ( ar, نور الدين الخماري) is a Morocco, Moroccan instrumentalist, singer, choreographer and film director.
Biography
Based in Italy, Nour-Eddine has been involved in various groups specializing in ethnic, tradi ...
's
''Casanegra'' (2008) depicts the harsh realities of Casablanca's working classes. The films ''
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 I ...
'' (2000),
''Horses of'' God (2012), ''
Much Loved
''Much Loved'' (also known as ''Zin Li Fik'') is a 2015 French-Moroccan drama film directed by Nabil Ayouch about the prostitution scene in Marrakesh. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The film ...
'' (2015), and
''Ghazzia'' (2017) of
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 ...
—a French director of Moroccan heritage—deal with street crime, terrorism, and social issues in Casablanca, respectively. The events in
Meryem Benm'Barek-Aloïsi's 2018 film
Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
revolve around an illegitimate pregnancy in Casablanca.
Hicham Lasri and
Said Naciri also from Casablanca.
In 2021
Casablanca Beats
''Casablanca Beats'' (; french: Haut et Fort, lit=high and loud) is a 2021 Moroccan drama film directed by Nabil Ayouch. In June 2021, the film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The film was produced by ...
became the first Moroccan film to be selected to compete for the Palme d'Or since 1962.
Atlas Studios in
Warzazat is a large movie studio.
The
Marrakech International Film Festival
The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) ( ar, المهرجان الدولي للفيلم بمراكش, Amazigh ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ ) is an international film festi ...
was first held in 2001.
In his book ''La septième porte (The Seventh Door),'' the poet, novelist and filmmaker
Ahmed Bouanani (1938-2011) retraces 24 years of Moroccan film history. As described by literary critic and publisher
Kenza Sefrioui, who edited Bouanani's personal history of cinema in Morocco, the author ''"recounts scenarios, he details the atmosphere of the scenes, he attests to reception, and he presents himself as an often ironic, sometimes humorous commentator, in dialogue with his reader."''
Film industry in Morocco
Directors
Morocco has known a first generation of directors in the 70s-90s. They participated to the development of film industry in Morocco. Notable film makers are Hamid Bénani (Wechma, Traces, 1970),
Souheil Ben Barka
Souheil Ben-Barka (born 25 December 1942) is a Moroccan film director, screenwriter and film producer. He directed seven films between 1974 and 2002. His 1975 film ''La guerre du pétrole n'aura pas lieu'' was entered into the 9th Moscow Internat ...
(Les Mille et une Mains, 1974),
Moumen Smihi (El Chergui ou le Silence violent, 1975),
Ahmed El Maânouni (Alyam, Alyam, 1978 ; Transes (Al Hal), 1981; Les Cœurs brûlés, 2007), Jilali Ferhati (Poupées de roseau, 1981; La Plage des enfants perdus, 1991),
Mustapha Derkaoui (Les Beaux Jours de Shéhérazade, 1982) ;
Farida Benlyazd (Une porte sur le ciel, 1988), Saâd Chraïbi (Chronique d'une vie normale, 1990), Mohamed Abderrahmane Tazi (Badis, 1989 ; À la recherche du mari de ma femme, 1993),
Abdelkader Lagtaâ (Un amour à Casablanca, 1992 ; La Porte close, 1998),
Hakim Noury (Le Marteau et l'Enclume, 1990), Hassan Benjelloun (La Fête des autres, 1990)
Since roughly the year 2000, a younger generation of Moroccan filmmakers has been taking over. Some of its prominent names are:
*
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 ...
*
Hisham Lasri
*
Narjiss Nejjar
Narjiss Nejjar (born 1971) is a Moroccan filmmaker and screenwriter. Her film ''Les Yeux Secs'' (''Cry No More'') was screened at Cannes in 2003.
Early life and career
Nejjar was a student at ESRA in Paris, where she studied filmmaking.
In 199 ...
*
Faouzi Bensaïdi
*
Nour-Eddine Lakhmari
Nour-Eddine Lakhmari ( ar, نور الدين الخماري) is a Morocco, Moroccan instrumentalist, singer, choreographer and film director.
Biography
Based in Italy, Nour-Eddine has been involved in various groups specializing in ethnic, tradi ...
*
Doha Moustaquim
*
Laïla Marrakchi
Laila Marrakchi (born 1975 in Casablanca) is a Moroccan film maker most famous for the controversial film '' Marock''. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
She is married to film director Alexand ...
(her first full-length feature film, Marock, produced in 2004 was nominated at the Festival de Cannes 2005 in the category "Un certain regard").
Festivals
*
International Film Festival of Marrakech
The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) ( ar, المهرجان الدولي للفيلم بمراكش, Amazigh ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ ) is an international film festi ...
* Mediterranean Film Festival
Comedians
Living in Morocco
Living abroad (mainly in France)
National structure
Union and professional organizations
The Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (Centre cinématographique marocain) is a public institution under the Ministry of Culture for the promotion, distribution and projection of movies in Morocco. Most other organisations relatied to films and cinemas are grouped into business chambers or trade unions, for example the National Federation of Film Clubs or the National Chamber of Film Producers.
![Cla Studios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Cla_Studios.jpg)
Film studios
*studios ATLAS (Ouarzazate)
*studios KAN ZAMANE
*studios CINEDINA (Soualem)
*studios ESTER ANDROMEDA
*CLA Studios (Ouarzazate)
*studios CINECITTA (Ouarzazate)
Institutes for film and audiovisual studies
*
The Superior School of Visual Arts of Marrakech (ESAVM)
*Institut spécialisé dans le métiers du cinéma (ISMC) Ouarzazate
*Institut spécialisé du cinéma et de l'audiovisuel (ISCA) de Rabat
*Institut supérieur des métiers de l'audiovisuel et du cinéma (ISMAC)
See also
*
Arab cinema
Arab cinema or Arabic cinema ( ar, السينما العربية, al-sīnemā al-ʿArabīyah) refers to the film industry of the Arab world which depends for most of its production on the Egyptian cinema.
Overview
There is no single descrip ...
*
Egyptian cinema
The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, sometimes also referred to as Hollywood on the Nile. Since 1976, the capital has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the Intern ...
*
List of Moroccan films
This is a list of films produced in Morocco.
References
{{reflist
External links
Moroccan filmat the Internet Movie Database
Morocco
Morocco
Films
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay ...
*
List of foreign movies shot in Morocco
Many foreign films have been shot in Morocco. The first were by the French film pioneer Louis Lumière Le chevrier Marocain. Orson Welles filmed his ''Othello'' there, which won the ''Palme d'Or'' prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1955, Alfred ...
*
Culture of Morocco
The culture of Morocco is a blend of Arab, Berber, Jewish, and Western European cultures. It represents and is shaped by a convergence of influences throughout history. This sphere may include, among others, the fields of personal or collective be ...
*
Cinema of the world
This is a list of cinema of the world by continent and country.
By continent
* Cinema of Africa
*Cinema of Asia
**South Asian cinema
**Southeast Asian cinema
* Cinema of North America
* Cinema of Latin America
*Cinema of Europe
* Cinema of Oceani ...
References
Further reading
* Ahmed Bouanani, ''La septième porte. Une histoire du cinéma au Maroc de 1907 à 1986''. Kulte Editions, 2021, 336 p. (in French)
* Kevin Dwyer, "Morocco: A National Cinema with Large Ambitions" in: Josef Gugler (ed.) ''Film in the Middle East and North Africa: Creative Dissidence'', University of Texas Press and American University in Cairo Press, 2011, , , pp 325-348
External links
Moroccan CinemaCinema portal in Morocco
CineMaCinema
''JAWHARA, prison girl'', by Saad Chraïbi, in
Babelmed.net
{{World cinema navbox