A SUMMER IN BOUJAD
Genre
Family and Drama
Running time
80 minutes
Year
2022
Language
Arabic
Subtitle
English and French
Country
Morocco, France and Belgium
Director
Omar Mouldouira
Bio
Producer
Mohamed Nadif
Cast
Yassir Kazzouz, Hatim Seddiki, Laila Fadili, Azzelarab Keghat, Ahmed Elmelkouni, Adam Morjani, Hiba Aouad
Scriptwriter
Omar Mouldouira
Seven years after the death of his mother, 13-year-old Karim has left Paris for Morocco with his father Messaoud, who has remarried and decided to return to his homeland. After a year at a French boarding school in Casablanca, Karim joins the newly blended family – including his new half-brother, stepmother and his father’s mother-in-law - for the summer in Boujad, a small town in central Morocco. Already muddled by the anxieties of adolescence, Karim struggles to understand their world and establish his place in a family of strangers. Meanwhile, his father - having discovered how little he really knows about Morocco after decades in France - is finding it difficult to adjust and even more challenging to relate to a boy beginning to show signs of rebellion. Their tumultuous relationship is at the heart of director Omar Mouldouira’s personal story, tenderly told, which encourages us to reflect on our own family bonds.
Other movies
RED PATH
Director: Lotfi Achour
Ashraf, a shepherd boy working with his teenage cousin in impoverished northern Tunisia faces the unimaginable when Islamic State terrorists set on them and behead his cousin Nizar in front of him. Ashraf has no choice but to take the head back to his family, who can do nothing: the terrorists are a constant threat, while the police are indifferent to the problems of poor herders. Nizar’s parents fixate on trying to recover his body for a proper burial, but Ashraf has no way of dealing with his trauma, clinging to the visions he has of Nizar during which he can talk to his cousin’s ghost. An extraordinary journey into the wounded psyche of a child in a war zone, heightened by Ali AlHleili’s captivating performance.
RAVENS
Director: Mark Gill
Acclaimed Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, who died in 2012, was best known in his lifetime for his photographic book The Solitude of Ravens (1976-82), with its bleak images of distant birds evoking themes of isolation and tragedy. That work was his response to his divorce from his second wife of 13 years, Yoko Wanibe, which left him devastated. During their tumultuous years together, he photographed her constantly; she was a model, collaborator and object of his obsession. Tadanobu Asano, who was Emmy-nominated for Shogun, plays Fukase in this intense portrait of a passionate man caught in a love triangle between his wife and his art, incarnated here as a talking raven – a humorous touch to this profound exploration of love and loss.
In-Conversation with Eva Longoria
Director: Eva Longoria Baston
Having worked consistently in Hollywood for over 20 years, Eva Longoria has cemented herself as an industry staple known for her work both in front of and behind the camera. Longoria continues to hone her craft, seek new projects, and expand opportunities for others by paving the way for future women and minority producers, directors and industry leaders in Hollywood and beyond.
SIMA’S SONG
Director: Roya Sadat
Afghanistan in 1972 is a cauldron of opposing political forces. Suraya, part of an influential political family, becomes head of the dominant Communist Party’s women’s organisation, believing it is the best hope for equal rights. Her friend Sima is sceptical of all politics and, as a talented musician, is dedicated to her traditional art and its romantic themes. Despite their differences, these two young women remain best friends through university, even when Sima marries and starts attending Muslim Youth meetings. When the army starts arresting Muslim activists, Suraya helps her friends escape to the mountains and the protection of the mujahadeen, but war follows them. The film is a marvellous testament to the courage and loyalty of Afghani women in the face of constant adversity.
