THE BLUE CAFTAN

The traditional Moroccan caftan is handmade from precious fabric, every braided detail individually sewn so well that it can be handed down from mother to daughter. Halim (Saleh Bakri) works long hours in this demanding trade; his wife Mina (Lubna Azabal), manages their even more demanding customers. They are an affectionate couple, still ready for a dance around the kitchen when Mina, who suffers from an illness, feels well enough, but it is clear when Halim goes to the hammam that his real desires lie elsewhere. Then Youssef (Ayoub Missiou) – a young man as serious about craftsmanship and beauty as Halim himself - joins them as an apprentice. Watching the two men quietly at work, Mina sees her husband differently. Director Maryam Touzani and her three exceptional actors step up to a complex subject with sensitivity and courage, pointing the way to a society where tradition and tolerance can flourish together.