Every day, Allociné recommends a film to (re) see on TV. Tonight: a poignant and public utility film on a social taboo.
Three years after her first feature film Adam, selected in a certain look section, the Moroccan director Maryam Touzani took up a crazy challenge: see her second film, the blue of the caftan, be again selected at the Cannes Festival.
Released in the cinema in 2022, this film, awarded twice at the Angoulême Francophone Festival (including the best staging) and at the Marrakech Festival (Jury Prize), addresses a taboo subject in Morocco: homosexuality.
Halim (Saleh Bakri) has been married for many years in Mina (Lubna Azabal), with whom he holds a traditional caftans store in the Salé medina. They have always lived with Halim's secret, his homosexuality that he learned to keep. Mina's incurable cancer and the arrival of a young apprentice, Youssef (Ayoub Missioui), will upset this balance. United in their love, everyone will help the other face their fears.
To achieve Caftan blue,, Maryam Touzani To count on the writing talents of Nabil Ayouch, to whom we owe the two excellent dramatic films The horses of God and Much Loved. A teamwork that allowed this feature to win the score of 4.2 in 5 stars by the Internet users of Allociné.
Film to break prejudices
Like the fabric of the caftan which gives its title to the film, The blue of the caftan is a very delicate, gentle work, which tackles the subject of homosexuality in Morocco with modesty. The choice of title was carefully chosen, since it alone questions the prejudices deeply rooted in society.
The making of the caftan, traditional clothing, symbol of crafts and cultural heritage, is both long and meticulous, like the time necessary for the hidden truths to emerge and that the prejudices are, if not broken, highlighted.
On this great subject, the filmmaker said: “I think that it is absolutely necessary that we can open the debate (…) I tell myself that it can perhaps bring a little stone to the building, and that it can perhaps open the debate and that we can talk about it in a serene way in order to advance things, and that we can love as we want to love, that we are free to love“.
“”I felt the need to write this story, to tell this character who lives in the unsaid, in a permanent conflict between whom he is and who he must claim to be, who must always keep this facade for society, to continue living normally. It's something that can be so violent at times“She added.
One thing is certain, with Caftan blueimpossible not to silence prejudices and not to be carried away by this sublime love story …
Tonight on Arte at 8:55 p.m.
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