Morjana Alaoui ( ar, مرجانة العلوي; born November 30, 1982)
is a
Moroccan-
French actress. She is best known for her starring roles in director
Laila Marrakchi's ''
Marock
''Marock'' is the 2005 cinema of Morocco, Moroccan film by director Laïla Marrakchi. The film was 2006's most successful film in Morocco, taking more than 3 million dirhams at the Moroccan box-office, according to TelQuel. It was very controvers ...
'' and ''
Rock the Casbah
"Rock the Casbah" is a song by the English punk rock band The Clash, released in 1982. The song was released as the second single from their fifth album, ''Combat Rock''. It reached number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US (t ...
,'' films which dealt with sexual taboos, cultural and religious values, and female emancipation in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
. She also starred in
Pascal Laugier
Pascal Laugier (; born 16 October 1971) is a French screenwriter and film director.
Career
Laugier is a former assistant to director Christophe Gans, having directed the "making-of" documentary about Gans' 2001 film, ''Brotherhood of the Wolf' ...
''
's'' horror film ''
Martyrs
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
,'' a polarizing film and associated with the
New French Extremity
New French Extremity (New French Extremism or, informally, New French Extreme) is a term coined by ''Artforum'' critic James Quandt for a collection of transgressive films by French directors at the turn of the 21st century. Also available othe ...
movement.
Biography
Alaoui spent her early life in the Anfa neighborhood of
Casablanca, Morocco,
and studied at the
Casablanca American School
Casablanca American School is a coeducational, nursery through grade twelve private day school in Casablanca, Morocco. It is located in the suburban Californie neighborhood.
History
The school was founded in 1973 and was the first school in ...
. At 18, Alaoui moved to
Paris, France
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, where she studied at the
American University of Paris
The American University of Paris (AUP) is a private, independent, and accredited liberal arts university in Paris, France. Founded in 1962, the university is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe, and the first t ...
. While attending the university, she met director Laila Marrakchi, who offered her a role in the film ''
Marock
''Marock'' is the 2005 cinema of Morocco, Moroccan film by director Laïla Marrakchi. The film was 2006's most successful film in Morocco, taking more than 3 million dirhams at the Moroccan box-office, according to TelQuel. It was very controvers ...
'' (2005).
''Marock'' was critically acclaimed and provided Alaoui national fame.
In 2007, she began filming ''
Martyrs
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
'', for which she is also known. In 2016 Alaoui starred in psychological thriller ''Broken'' directed by Shaun Robert Smith.
Filmography
References
External links
*
Moroccan film actresses
People from Casablanca
1983 births
Living people
Moroccan emigrants to the United States
American film actresses
21st-century Moroccan actresses
American University of Paris alumni
21st-century American women
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