By MCN Editor editor@moviecitynews.com
UNDER THE HIGH PATRONAGE OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING MOHAMMED V: The 11th Marrakech International Film Festival
FEATURE FILM JURY MEMBERS (AMENDMENT) and THE OFFICIAL SELECTION; FEATURE FILM JURY MEMBERS (AMENDMENT)
Marrakech, November 20, 2011 – Due to a heavy working schedule in connection with the Oscar submission of the award winning A SEPARATION, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has unfortunately been forced to cancel his planned attendance as member of the feature film jury.
Stepping in for Asghar Farhadi, we are honored to announce that the lead actress from Farhadi’s Berlin winner A SEPARATION, Leila Hatami, will be joining jury president Emir Kusturica.
FEATURE FILMS JURY :
PRESIDENT OF THE FEATURE FILMS JURY EMIR KUSTURICA Director, screenwriter, actor & musician – Serbia Notably: BLACK CAT, WHITE CAT (1998), Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival, UNDERGROUND (1995), Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, ARIZONA DREAM (1993), Special Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, TIME OF THE GYPSIES (1988), Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS (1985), Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Feature Films Jury welcomes to its ranks:
JESSICA CHASTAIN – Actress – United States Notably : THE HELP (2011) by Tate Taylor, THE TREE OF LIFE (2011) by Terrence Malick, Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, TAKE SHELTER (2011) by Jeff Nichols, THE DEBT (2010) by John Madden.
NICOLE GARCIA – Director & actress – France Notably: A VIEW OF LOVE (2010), CHARLIE SAYS (2006), THE ADVERSARY (2002), PLACE VENDOME (1997).
LEÏLA HATAMI- Actress – Iran Notably: A SEPARATION (2011) by Asghar Farhadi, Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, SHIRIN (2008) by Abbas Kiarostami, PORTRAIT OF A LADY FAR AWAY (2005) by Ali Mosaffa
ABDELKADER LAGTÂA – Director – Morocco Notably: YASMINE ET LES HOMMES (2007), FACE A FACE (2003), LA PORTE CLOSE (2000), LES CASABLANCAIS (1998), UN AMOUR A CASABLANCA (1992).
BRILLANTE Ma. MENDOZA – Director – Philippines Notably: CAPTURED (2011), KINATAY (2009) Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival, LOLA (2009), SERBIS (2008), SLINGSHOT (2007) Jury Prize at the International Film Festival of Marrakech.
RADU MIHAILEANU – Director & Screenwriter – Romania Notably: THE SOURCE (2011), THE CONCERT (2009), LIVE AND BECOME (2005) César Award for Best Screenplay, Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin Film Festiva
MAYA SANSA – Actress – Italy Notably: THE FIRST MAN (2011) by Gianni Amelio, VILLA AMALIA (2009) by Benoit Jacquot, GOOD MORNING, NIGHT (2004) by Marco Bellocchio, Pasinetti Award for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival, THE BEST OF YOUTH (2003) by Marco Tullio Giordana, THE WET-NURSE (1999) by Marco Bellocchio.
APARNA SEN – Director, screenwriter & actress – India Notably, as a director & screenwriter: AN UNFINISHED LETTER (2011), THE JAPANESE WIFE (2010), 26 PARK AVENUE (2006), MR AND MRS IYER (2002), HOUSE OF MEMORIES (1999). Notably, as an actress: THE FIRST MOON (2002) by Rituparno Ghosh, 19th APRIL (1994) by Rituparno Ghosh, WORLD WITHIN, WORLD WITHOUT (1992) by Mrinal Sen, SUDDENLY, ONE DAY (1989) by Mrinal Sen.
THE OFFICIAL SELECTION
83 films from 21 countries
THE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
OUT OF COMPETITION
THE CINECOLES SHORT FILM COMPETITION
GENERATION MEXIQUE
MOROCCAN CINEMA AT HEART
PLACE JEMAA EL FNA
CINEMA FOR THE BLIND
THE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
This year’s selection includes 15 films focused on emerging filmmakers from around the world. The selected feature films include as many as 10 debut feature films and 3 sophomore outings, altogether representing 15 different nationalities.
180° by Cihan Inan – Switzerland – 1st film
BABY FACTORY (Bahay bata) by Eduardo Roy Jr. & Almon L. Derla – Philippines – 1st film
BELVEDERE by Ahmed Imamovic – Bosnia Herzegovina – 2nd film
DEATH IS MY PROFESSION by Amir Hossein Saghafi – Iran – 1st film
DON’T BE AFRAID (No tengas miedo) by Montxos Armendariz – Spain – 8th film
I CARRIED YOU HOME by Tongpong Chantarangkul – Thailand – 1st film
LAND OF OBLIVION (La Terre outragée) by Michale Boganim – France, Germany, Poland – 1st film
LOUISE WIMMER by Cyril Mennegun – France – 1st film
OUT OF BOUNDS (Labrador) by Frederikke Aspöck – Denmark – 1st film
RIVER OF GOLD (Rio de oro) by Pablo Aldrete – Mexico – 1st film
SEVEN ACTS OF MERCY (Sette opere di misericordia) by Gianluca & Massimiliano De Serio – Italy – 1st film
SNEAKERS (Ketcove) by Valeri Yordanov & Ivan Vladimirov – Bulgaria – 1st film
SNOWTOWN by Justin Kurtzel – Australia – 1st film
THE RIF LOVER (L’Amante du Rif) by Narjiss Nejjar – Morocco – 4th film – Opening film
WITHOUT by Mark Jackson – USA – 1st film
During the Festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday December 10th, Emir Kusturica and his fellow jury members will present the following awards:
– The Golden Star – The Festival Grand Prize – The Jury Prize – The best performance by an actress – The best performance by an actor
180° Switzerland
by Cihan Inan 2nd film
starring Christopher Buchholz, Sophie Rois, Michael Neuenschwander, Asli Bayram, Siir Eloglu, Carla Juri, Güven Kirac, Mehmet Atesci, Firat Kaplan, Umut Yildirim
Early evening in a big city. A teenage couple shyly flirt with each other, a housewife sits down to watch a daily soap, nurses in a hospital gossip before the nightshift starts, a trendy couple drives through rush hour, so excited they can hardly wait to get home, a man with a rifle enters a building seeking revenge. In the blink of an eye seemingly unrelated events turn upside down what were once secure, happy, “normal” lives.
BABY FACTORY (Bahay bata) Philippines
by Eduardo Roy Jr. & Almond L. Derla 1st film
starring Diana Zubiri, Sue Prado, Yul Servo, Mailes Kanapi, Janna Tiangco
Sarah is a nurse at a Public Maternity Hospital. The hospital is short on staff on Christmas Day so Sarah is forced to put in a double shift. The wards are over-crowded: two women and their babies sharing single beds while those in labor are spilling unto the hallways. Sarah takes these all in stride, her heart and mind laboring over her own personal pains.
BELVEDERE Bosnia Herzegovina
by Ahmed Imamovic 2nd film
starring Sadžida Šetić, Nermin Tulić, Minka Muftić, Armin Rizavnović, Adis Omerović
This is an intimate story of the survivors of Srebrenica genocide facing a world of contrasts. On one hand, there is their relentless search for the truth while, on the other, there are trivialities of everyday realities of transitional society obsessed with reality shows used as a device to fabricate individuals characterized by superficiality. And when these two worlds collide in a dysfunctional society, a bomb starts its countdown.
DEATH IS MY PROFESSION Iran
by Amir Hossein Saghafi 1st film
starring Pejman Bazeghi, Amir Aghaei, Maryam Boobani, Sonia Espahram, Mahchehreh Khalili, Akbar Sangi, Ramin Rastad
Three ordinary workers in Iran’s alpine region face hardships in providing for their families and end up trying to sell stolen high-voltage power lines. During the burglary, they accidentally kill someone and wind up fugitives…
DON’T BE AFRAID (No tengas miedo) Spain
by Montxos Armendariz 8th film
starring Michelle Jenner, Lluis Homar, Belén Rueda, Nuria Gago, Cristina Plazas, Rubén Ochandiano, Javier Pereira
Silvia is a young girl marked by a dark childhood. When she is hardly twenty-five, she decides to start over and to face people, feelings and emotions that keep her bound to the past. In her fight against adversity and against herself, she will learn to control her fears and become an adult, responsible for her own actions.
I CARRIED YOU HOME Thailand
by Tongpong Chantarangkul 1st film
starring Apinya Sakuljaroensuk, Akhamsiri Suwannasuk, Torphong Kul-on, Porntip Kamlung
A mother comes to Bangkok to visit her teenage daughter, Pann, who lies to her to avoid spending time with her. Soon after Pann returns to her friends, she receives a phone call from her aunt in tears that her Mum has been in a terrible accident and is in a coma. Pann hurries to contact her elder sister, Pinn, who had run away from her marriage to Singapore to start a new life away from family constraints. Both of them will be forced to spend time together and to slowly begin to open up to each other again.
LAND OF OBLIVION (La Terre outragée) France / Germany / Poland
by Michale Boganim 1st film
starring Olga Kurylenko, Illya Iosivof, Andrzej Chyra, Vyacheslav Slanko, Serguei Strelnikov, Nikita Emshanov
April 26, 1986. On that day, Anya and Piotr celebrate their marriage. Little Valery and his father Alexei, a physicist at the power station in Chernobyl, plant an apple tree. Nikolai, the forest warden, makes his rounds in the surrounding woods. Then, an accident occurs at the power station. Insidiously, the radioactivity transforms nature. Piotr, a volunteer fireman, leaves to extinguish the flames. He never returns. A few days later, the population is evacuated. Alexei, forced to keep silent by the authorities, prefers to disappear. Ten years later, the city of Pripiat has become a no man’s land and a bizarre tourist attraction….
LOUISE WIMMER France
by Cyril Mennegun 1st film
starring Corinne Masiero, Jérôme Kircher, Anne Benoît, Marie Kremer, Jean-Marc Roulot, Frédéric Gorny
Louise Wimmer goes from one small job to another. Despite her loud speech and tall height, she‘d rather stay alone to avoid any conflict. Her past life is now far behind her and everything she owns is in her car. At the dawn of her fifties, she lost everything when separating from her husband, but she wants to make it by herself. Nonetheless it is only if she accepts to open herself to others that she will be able to start her life again.
OUT OF BOUNDS (Labrador) Denmark
by Frederikke Aspöck 1st film
starring Carsten Bjørnlund, Stephanie León, Jakob Eklund
A desolate, windswept island. Stella and Oskar, a young couple, visit Stella’s father Nathan who lives a lonely life in the company of his labrador dog. Stella is pregnant and looking forward to the birth of their baby, but Oskar appears to be in doubt. When Oskar falls prey to Nathan’s provocations and feels bewildered by the relationship between father and daughter, a clash between the two men is inevitable.
RIVER OF GOLD (Rio de oro) Mexico
by Pablo Aldrete 1st film
starring Gonzalo Lebrija, Stephanie Sigman, Kenny Johnston, Deshava Apachee, Karl Makinen, Chesley Wilson
Sonora, Mexico, 1853. During the war with the Apaches and the invasion of the United States, a muleteer decides to sell his animals to seek a better life in the city of Mexico. To do so, he will have to cross through the mountains that are Apache territory.
SEVEN ACTS OF MERCY (Sette opere di misericordia) Italy
by Gianluca & Massimiliano De Serio 1st film
starring Roberto Herlitzka, Olimpia Melinte, Ignazio Oliva, Stefano Cassetti, Cosmin Corniciuc
Luminita, a young illegal immigrant living on the edge of a shanty town, has hatched a plan to get herself out of her predicament. To carry it through she bumps into Antonio, a sick and mysterious old man. The clash between the two of them is unavoidable and harsh, and leads to unforeseeable consequences.
SNEAKERS (Ketcove) Bulgaria
by Valeri Yordanov & Ivan Vladimirov 2nd film
starring Philip Avramov, Valeri Yordanov, Ivan Barnev, Vassil Draganov, Ivo Arakov, Ina Nikolova
In the beginning of summer, six young people escape from their failures – in their families, love, money, ambitions, meeting with those that are different. They escape from the City, taken over by those that are different. Each one of them escapes East of Hell… to the point farthest away, the sea coast, a clean and pristine beach. The clean beach brings them together and reopens the prospective of hope to them all. But is such an escape at all possible?
SNOWTOWN Australia
by Justin Kurtzel 1st film
starring Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris, Frank Cwertniak, Matthew Howard, Marcus Howard, Anthony Groves
When sixteen-year-old Jamie is introduced to a charismatic man, a friendship begins. As the relationship grows, so do Jamie’s suspicions until he finds his world threatened by both his loyalty for, and fear of, his newfound father-figure John Bunting, Australia’s most notorious serial killer.
THE RIF LOVER (L’Amante du Rif) | Opening film Morocco
by Narjiss Nejjar 4th film
starring Nadia Kounda, Mourade Zeguendi, Ouidad Elma, Nadia Niazi, Fehd Benchemsi, Omar Lotfi, Siham Assif, Raoula
Aya is twenty years old. She is beautiful, sometimes unsuspicious, often fly-away. She dreams only about love, sublimated and fantasized as one pleases. She drags her freedom from care in the middle of the volutes of kif as her two brothers work for a big trafficker of hashish nicknamed “The Baron”. Their paths cross one April morning and her life gradually begins its descent to hell.
WITHOUT USA
by Mark Jackson 1st film
starring Joslyn Jensen, Ron Carrier, Darren Lenz, Bob Sentinella, Piper Weiss
On a remote wooded island, Joslyn becomes caretaker to an old man trapped in a wheelchair and in a vegetative state. She has no cell signal, no access to the Internet. Processing a hefty personal grief, Joslyn vacillates between finding solace in the old man’s company and feeling fear and suspicion towards him. As the days wear on, her isolated routine devolves into a struggle with sexuality, guilt and loss.
OUT OF COMPETITION
A DANGEROUS METHOD by David Cronenberg – Canada/Germany/United Kingdom/Switzerland
ANOTHER HAPPY DAY by Sam Levinson – USA
BLACK GOLD (Or noir) by Jean-Jacques Annaud – France/Italy
DAYS OF GRACE (Días de gracia) by Everardo Gout – Mexico/France
DEATH FOR SALE by Faouzi Bensaïdi – Belgium/France/Morocco
MISS BALA by Gerardo Naranjo – Mexico
MY BACK PAGE (Mai bakku pêjî) by Nobuhiro Yamashita – Japan
PARIS BY NIGHT (Une nuit) by Philippe Lefebvre – France
TEXAS KILLING FIELDS by Ami Canaan Mann – USA
WHEN THE NIGHT (Quando la notte) by Cristina Comencini – Italy
A DANGEROUS METHOD Canada/Germany/United Kingdom/Switzerland
by David Cronenberg
starring Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Sarah Gadon
Zurich, 1904. Carl Jung, 29 years old, psychiatrist, is at the beginning of his career and shares his life with his wife Emma. Inspired by the studies of Sigmund Freud, Jung tries the experimental treatment known as psychoanalysis on Sabina Spielrein, 18 years old. Sabina is a disturbed young woman who has the reputation of being agitated and violent. Little by little, Jung will put aside his own ethics and let go with his attraction for Sabina. A dangerous liaison will soon begin with unexpected and fundamental consequences.
French distribution | Mars Distribution
ANOTHER HAPPY DAY USA
by Sam Levinson
starring Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller, Kate Bosworth, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, George Kennedy, Ellen Burstyn
A comedy about warring exes, gossiping aunts, and reckless teens – and the wedding that brings them all together.
French distribution | Memento Films Distribution
BLACK GOLD (Or noir) France/Italy
by Jean-Jacques Annaud
starring Tahar Rahim, Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Freida Pinto, Riz Ahmed, Liya Kebede, Corey Johnson, Akin Gazi
The Thirties, Arabia. Young prince Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge but finds himself in the middle of a battle following the discovery of oil. Forced to take up arms, he must choose between two enemies with an opposite view of the future, his two fathers, the one who gave him life, the righteous and conservative sultan Amar, and the one who raised him, the seductive and calculating Nessib.
French distribution | Warner Bros. Entertainment France
DAYS OF GRACE (Días de gracia) Mexico/France
by Everardo Gout
starring Tenoch Huerta, Kristian Ferrer , Dolores Heredia , Carlos Bardem , Eilen Yañez , Mario Zaragoza, José Sefami , Sonia Couho
Mexico City. 2002, 2006, 2010. A cop. A hostage. A bride. Corruption, violence, revenge. 3 lives through 30 days and 3 Soccer World Cups. 3 ways to fight for survival…
French distribution | ARP Sélection
DEATH FOR SALE (Mort à vendre) | Closing film Belgium/France/Morocco
by Faouzi Bensaïdi
starring Fehd Benchemsi, Fouad Labiad, Mouchcine Malzi, Iman Mechrafi, Faouzi Bensaïdi
Malik, 26 years old, is madly in love with Dounia. He wants to get her out of prostitution. Allal, 30 years old, wants to become the new big fish in the drugs business. Soufiane, 18 years old, is feeding his anger with thoughts of revenge. The robbery of the biggest jeweler of Tetouan gathers the three friends who have nothing to lose and nothing to fear.
World Sales | Urban Distribution
MISS BALA Mexico
by Gerardo Naranjo
starring Stephanie Sigman, Irene Azuela, Noe Hernández, James Russo, José Yenque
The aspirations of Laura, a young woman who wants to become a beauty queen, turn against her, delivering her into the hands of a gang that is terrorizing northern Mexico. Although Laura succeeds in winning the beauty queen crown, her experiences as an unwilling participant in Mexico’s violent war leave her shaken and profoundly transformed.
World Sales | Fox International Productions
MY BACK PAGE (Mai bakku pêji) Japan
by Nobuhiro Yamashita
starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, Kenichi Matsuyama, Shiori Kutsuna, Anna Ishibashi, Hanae Kan, Aoi Nakamura
The late 1960s were a time of student revolution all over the globe, and Japan was no exception. Fledgling journalist Sawada gets to spend time with Umeyama, a radical leader of the student movement. He finds himself torn between the complex charm of Umeyama and his suspicious behavior. And when Umeyama announces a raid on an army base to steal weapons, Sawada gets really excited.
World Sales | Bitters End
PARIS BY NIGHT (Une nuit) France
by Philippe Lefebvre
starring Roschdy Zem, Sara Forestier, Samuel Le Bihan
Paris. Simon Weiss, head of the Paris Vice Squad, begins his daily rounds through the city at night. He is doing his job. But that night is not like the other ones. Weiss soon starts to suspect that someone is trying to set him up. Caught in the crossfire between the police Internal Affairs and the criminals, Weiss will stand up for himself, facing cops, business men and gangsters…
World Sales | TF1 International
TEXAS KILLING FIELDS USA
by Ami Canaan Mann
starring Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloë Grace Moretz, Jessica Chastain, Annabeth Gish
In Texas City, the police faces a series of murders, but the internal rivalries which undermine the service and the dreadful place where the bodies were found – the Killing Fields wasteland – complicate the investigation. In the nearby county, inspector Mike Souder and Brian Heigh work on the disappearance of a girl. No corpse, no track. When Anne, a kid of the streets, whom Brian is taking care of, is reported missing, the two detectives start thinking that some clue might be hidden in Killing Fields …
French distribution | Metropolitan Filmexport
WHEN THE NIGHT (Quando la notte) Italy
by Cristina Comencini
starring Claudia Pandolfi, Filippo Timi, Thomas Trabacchi, Denis Fasolo, Michela Cescon, Manuela Mandracchia, Franco Trevisi
Marina is a fragile and insecure young woman struggling to be the perfect mother. Hoping a change of scenery will improve her baby’s sleeping habits, she decides to spend the summer vacation in the mountainside. Marina rents an apartment from Manfred, a gruff mountain guide who lives in an old house. He is distrustful of women. Manfred and Marina keep their distance until a harrowing event forces them together…
World Sales | Celluloid Dreams
THE CINECOLES SHORT FILM COMPETITION
During the Marrakech International Film Festival Closing & Award Ceremony, the Short Film Jury, chaired by Sigouney Weaver, will present The Cinécoles Short Film Prize.
99 by Ayoub Aoubid & Amal Loulidi School : IHB Art-Media Casablanca
A young man is mentally deranged by the sudden death of his girlfriend. This pain leads him to live in the world of illusions.
DIGNITE D’UN HOMME by El Bacha Soufiane School: ISCA – Rabat
A young man would like to find a job despite the high unemployment rate. One day, he is called for interview. He feels hopeful again but also suddenly senses an unease which will drag his down.
L’ARROSEUR by Mohamed Aouad School: ESAV – Marrakech
Rachid lives in a remote house in a village. He is a working-man, goes home before sunset and makes sure the door and the windows are locked at dusk. He is living alone in a daily routine until a woman arrives…
JAM KITCHEN by Anis Berjamy School: ESAV – Marrakech
A radio changes the course of one morning in an apparently standard kitchen.
ATE by Mohamed Souhail School: ESAV – Marrakech
On a barren roadside, the destiny of two people will cross each other: the one of a child who is trying in vain to collect money for his mother’s funeral and the one of an old woman who has decided to die.
ROBIO by Rouini Mohamed School: ISCA – Rabat
A young and laid-back illegal driver, but a little bit addicted to hashish, will face his worst nightmare because of a simple misunderstanding.
BEBOPE by Alaa Akaaboune School: ESAV – Marrakech
A man wakes up, his wife dresses him up with his suit, he goes to work, his boss gives him some advices and he goes home at the end of the day to watch television with his family. And so on every day until someone gets into his boring daily life.
LE SILENCE A UNE VOIX by Sanaa Batouchi School: IHB Art-Media Casablanca
Taha and Chama are two teenagers who met by chance in a park. It is love at first sight. But Taha is a mute boy and Chama is half deaf. The two lovers will end communicating their own way…
CONDUITE TEMERAIRE by Mohamed Kadouri & Ikram Dalki School: IHB Art-Media Casablanca
A reckless father has been traumatized by a dramatic event: a road accident predicted by his son who was playing with a car toy in the house hall.
UNE VIE, UNE ŒUVRE by Tnifass Mariam School: ISCA – Rabat
Abbass, a passionate painter, dreams of becoming famous and having his paintings considered as masterpieces. Despite his destitute life, he is not going to let things get him down and will do what it takes to reach his goal.
GENERATION MEXIQUE
AMORES PERROS 2000
by Alejandro González Iñárritu
starring Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero
A horrific car accident connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with life’s harsh realities.
THE CRIME OF FATHER AMARO (El Crimen del Padre Amaro) 2001
by Carlos Carrera
starring Gael García Bernal, Ana Claudia Talancón, Sancho Gracia, Angélica Aragón
Recently ordained priest, Father Amaro is sent to a small parish church to assist the aging Father Benito. Upon arriving, he meets Amelia, a beautiful religious girl. He soon discovers that temptation can demand a heavy price…
Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN 2001
by Alfonso Cuarón
starring Ana López Mercado, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Nathan Grinberg
Julio and Tenoch are two teens ruled by raging hormones. During a wedding, they meet Luisa and try to convince her to go on a road trip. To their surprise, she agrees to go along.
THE VIRGIN OF LUST (La Virgen de la lujuria) 2002
by Arturo Ripstein
starring Luis Felipe Tovar, Ariadna Gil, Patricia Reyes Spíndola, Juan Diego
Ignacio is a reserved and lonely waiter at Ofelia Cafe. His world is turned upside-down when a Spanish prostitute begins hanging out at the café.
JAPAN (Japón) 2003
by Carlos Reygadas
starring Alejandro Ferretis, Magdalena Flores, Yolanda Villa, Martín Serrano
A man leaves the city to venture into the rural interior of Mexico and prepare his death. He finds lodging in the barn of an old woman, overlooking a desolate canyon.
DUCK SEASON (Temporada de patos) 2004
by Fernando Eimbcke
starring Carolina Politi, Daniel Miranda, Diego Cataño, Danny Perea
Two teenagers try to survive another boring Sunday. But some events are about to ruin what was shaping up to be a great day.
DRAMA / MEX 2006
by Gerardo Naranjo
starring Fernando Becerril, Juan Pablo Castaneda, Diana García, Martha Claudia Moreno
Acapulco, a once luxury port city now in decadence, serves as a background for a suicidal old man, a runaway girl and a young couple who faces the hardships of separation.
PAN’S LABYRINTH (El Laberinto del fauno) 2006
by Guillermo del Toro
starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones
A little girl finds escape and solace in a mysterious labyrinth she discovers near her new home. It is there that she meets its guardian, the magical and a little demonic Pan.
PARQUE VÍA 2007
by Enrique Rivero
starring Nolberto Coria, Nancy Orozco, Tesalia Huerta
Beto is the custodian of a house who is living a secluded life. Once he learns that the house will soon be sold, he is confronted to the dilemma of gathering the courage to get out and get a life or find a way of remaining in his confinement.
LA ZONA 2007
by Rodrigo Plá
starring Daniel Giménez Cacho, Daniel Tovar, Alan Chávez, Carlos Bardem
After a burglary attempt, the citizens of a beautiful neighbourhood decide to take the law into their own hands.
THE BASTARDS (Los Bastardos) 2008
by Amat Escalante
starring Jesus Moises Rodriguez, Rubén Sosa, Nina Zavarin, Kenny Johnston
Two Mexican day-labourers go about their daily routine, waiting for work to come. Today, the job they are given is well paid: break into a woman’s house whose husband has hired them to kill her.
ALAMAR 2009
by Pedro González-Rubio
starring Jorge Machado, Roberta Palombini, Natan Machado Palombini, Nestór Marín
A father and his son go on a journey to the source of the open sea to find their old way of life.
NORTHLESS (Norteado) 2009
by Rigoberto Perezcano
starring Harold Torres, Sonia Couoh, Alicia Lagunes, Luis Cárdenas
Andrés reaches the Mexican border to cross into the United States. Between each attempt, he discovers that Tijuana is a troubled city.
ABEL 2010
by Diego Luna
starring Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruíz-Esparza, José Maria Yazpik, Karina Gidi
Abel, a nine-year-old boy, has stopped talking since his father left home. One morning he starts to speak again, pretending to be the head of the family. No one dares to challenge this miracle. One day a man shows up at the door: his father.
BECLOUDED (Vaho) 2010
by Alejandro Gerber Bicecci
starring Francisco Godínez, Aldo Estuardo, Roberto Mares, Joel Figueroa
Three young men, friends since boyhood, are linked by a defining incident that connects the destinies of their entire neighbourhood.
BIUTIFUL 2010
by Alejandro González Iñárritu
starring Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella
Sensing the danger of death, a man tries to reconcile with love and save his children as he tries to save himself.
REVOLUCIÓN 2010
The Mexican revolution began one hundred years ago with the overthrow of the country’s dictatorial President Porfirio Díaz. Ten directors look back at the violent upheaval that was to bring dramatic changes to the country.
LA BIENVENIDA by Fernando Eimbcke, starring Ansberto Flores López, José del Rosario
LINDO & QUERIDO by Patricia Riggen, starring Adriana Barraza, Carmen Corral
ESTE ES MI REINO by Carlos Reygadas, starring Cirilo Recio, Héctor Cortés Barrientos
EL CURA NICOLAS COLGADO by Amat Escalante, starring Cirilo Recio, Héctor Cortés Barrientos
LUCIO by Gael García Bernal, starring Aldo Carpintero Bernal, Benny Emmanuel, Mendoza Yirene
LA TIENDA DE RAYA by Mariana Chenillo, starring Mónica Bejarano, Gerardo Trejo Luna
30-30 by Rodrigo Plá, starring Justo Martínez, Ignacio Guadalupe
R-100 by Gerardo Naranjo, starring Noe Hernandez, Manuel Jimenez
PACÍFICO by Diego Luna, starring Ari Brickman, Ángeles Cruz
LA 7TH Y ALVARADO by Rodrigo García, starring Paul Cabrera, Antonio De Haro
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (Somos lo que hay) 2010
by Jorge Michel Grau
starring Francisco Barreiro, Alan Chávez, Paulina Gaitán, Carmen Beato
A man dies in the street, leaving his widow and children destitute. The devastated family is confronted with a terrible challenge – how to survive as they have always existed on a diet of human flesh?
DAYS OF GRACE (Días de gracia) 2011
by Everardo Gout
starring Tenoch Huerta, Kristian Ferrer, Dolores Heredia, Carlos Bardem , Eilen Yañez, Mario Zaragoza, José Sefami, Sonia Couho
Mexico City. 2002, 2006, 2010. A cop. A hostage. A bride. Corruption, violence, revenge. 3 lives through 30 days and 3 Soccer World Cups. 3 ways to fight for survival…
MISS BALA 2011
by Gerardo Naranjo
starring Stephanie Sigman, Irene Azuela, Noe Hernández, James Russo, José Yenque
The aspirations of Laura, a young woman who wants to become a beauty queen, turn against her, delivering her into the hands of a gang that is terrorizing northern Mexico. Although Laura succeeds in winning the beauty queen crown, her experiences as an unwilling participant in Mexico’s violent war leave her shaken and profoundly transformed.
MOROCCAN CINEMA AT HEART
THE END (Annihaya)
by Hicham Lasri
starring Sam Kanater, Salah Ben Salah, Hanane Zouhdi, Nadia Niazi, Malek Akhmiss
Casablanca, July 1999. Mikhi, a wheel clamper, falls in love with Rita, the frail sister of a gang of brothers who steal cars. He will do what it takes to make their love story succeed. Meanwhile, the old school and violent detective Daoud is on the heels of the thieves…
Production | La Prod
ANDALUSIA, MY LOVE! (Al Andalus mounamour !)
by Mohamed Nadif
starring Youssef Britel, Ali Esmili, Mohamed Nadif, Mehdi Ouazzani, Asmâa El Hadrami, Mohamed Choubi
Saïd and Amine are two students from Casablanca dreaming of Europe. They end up in a small village in the North of Morocco. With the help of the schoolteacher, they leave for the European coast on a small boat but they are shipwrecked. The sea washes Amine back onto the coast of the village. Saïd is washed away on a Spanish beach. Andalusia seems strange to Saïd. Meanwhile, in the Moroccan village, Amine notices strange things happening…
Production | Awman Productions
ON THE EDGE (Sur la planche)
by Leïla Kilani
starring Soufia Issami, Mouna Bahmad, Nouzha Akel, Sara Betioui
In Tangiers, two 20 year-old Moroccan girls, Badia and Imane, move amid the army of workers who inundate the city with their comings and goings. Both work in a factory peeling shrimps, a humiliating, difficult job leaving them smelling strongly of seafood. Badia and Imane dream of a better life…
THE RETURN OF THE SON (Aoudatou al ibn)
by Ahmed Boulane
starring Younes Megri, Warren Guetta, Myriam Bella, Emmanuelle Jeser, Nail Messaoudi
Fifteen years after having been kidnapped by his French mother, Mehdi, now in his early twenties, returns to Morocco to see his father Aziz. The young man, half-French half-Moroccan, tries to get to know the country of his birth. He meets a young Moroccan woman and begins to spend less time at home with his father. Aziz is increasingly concerned about this relationship and argues more and more frequently with his son. After a particularly heated discussion, Mehdi walks out and doesn’t come home in the evening. Aziz’s worst nightmare begins…
PLACE JEMAA EL FNA
THE BEAR (L’Ours) 1988 – France/USA
by Jean-Jacques Annaud
starring Tchéky Karyo, Jack Wallace, André Lacombe
An orphan bear cub hooks up with an adult male as they try to dodge human hunters.
ADIEU FORAIN (Bya bya souirti) 1998 – Morocco
by Daoud Aoulad Syad
starring Mohamed Bastaoui, Abdellah Diddane, Hassan Skalli, Nazha Rahil, Mohamed Miftah
The story of three destinies sharing the same itinerary: the one of Rabii, dreaming of a better future, the one of Kacem, sick and trying to escape a dark past he cannot forget, and the one of his sole son, Larbi, a former boxer and convict, violent and mythomaniac.
GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI 1999 –
by Jim Jarmusch France/Germany/USA/Japan
starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman, Henry Silva
“Ghost Dog” is a professional killer guided by the words of an ancient samurai text. When he is betrayed by the mafia family that occasionally employs him, he reacts strictly in accord with “the Way of the Samurai”.
VATEL 2000 –
by Roland Joffé France/United Kingdom/Belgium
Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Timothy Spall
In 1671, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly. In charge of all is Vatel, a man of honor and low birth.
PAN’S LABYRINTH (El Laberinto del fauno) 2006 – Mexico/Spain
by Guillermo del Toro
starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones
A little girl finds escape and solace in a mysterious labyrinth she discovers near her new home. It is there that she meets its guardian, the magical and a little demonic Pan.
MARADONA BY KUSTURICA 2008 – Spain/France
by Emir Kusturica
The story of Diego Maradona, a soccer legend, a fallen idol and a model for generations throughout the world.
THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS 2009
by Terry Gilliam United Kingdom/Canada/France
starring Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Lily Cole, Christopher Plummer
Doctor Parnassus, the leader of a travelling theater troupe called “The Imaginarium”, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations.
MY NAME IS KHAN 2010 – India
by Karan Johar
starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Katie A. Keane
Autistic Rizwan Khan, en-route to meet the President of the USA so that he can convey that his name is Khan and he is not a terrorist, recalls his life.
OMAR KILLED ME (Omar m’a tuer) 2011 – France
by Roschdy Zem
starring Sami Bouajila, Denis Podalydès, Maurice Bénichou
In 1991, Omar Raddad is jailed for the murder of Ghislaine Marchal who employed him as a gardener. Three years later, a writer convinced of Omar’s innocence decides to launch his own investigation into the case.
CINEMA FOR THE BLIND
8 WOMEN (8 Femmes) 2002 – France
by François Ozon
starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Béart, Fanny Ardant, Danielle Darrieux, Virginie Ledoyen, Ludivine Sagnier, Firmine Richard
At an isolated mansion, a family is gathered for the holiday season. But there will be no celebration at all because their patriarch has been murdered. The killer can only be one of the eight women closest to the man of the house.
L’ATALANTE 1934 – France
by Jean Vigo
starring Michel Simon, Dita Parlo, Jean Dasté, Gilles Margaritis
When Juliette marries Jean, she comes to live on his ship. Soon bored by life on the river, she slips off to see the nightlife when they come to Paris. Angered by this, Jean sets off, leaving Juliette behind…
THE AFRICAN QUEEN 1951 – United Kingdom
by John Huston
starring Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull
In Africa during the First World War, a riverboat captain is persuaded by a missionary to use his boat to attack an enemy warship.
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN 1951 – USA
by Alfred Hitchcock
starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, Robert Walker, Leo G. Carroll
Bruno Antony thinks he has the perfect plot to rid himself of his hated father. And when he meets tennis pro Guy Haines on a train, he thinks he’s found the partner he needs to pull it off.
EAST OF EDEN 1955 – USA
by Elia Kazan
starring James Dean, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos, Julie Harris
Cal Trask is an unhappy young man. He is always competing with his brother Aron, who seems to be perfect in almost every way. Aron is also their father’s favorite and Cal desperately wants his father’s love and affection.
VAGABOND (Sans toit ni loi) 1985 – France
by Agnès Varda
starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Macha Méril, Stéphane Freiss
The final weeks of a young vagabond as she camps alone or falls in with various men and women.
LALLA HOBBY 1997 – Morocco
by Mohammed Abderrahman Tazi
starring Amidou, Amina Rachid, Naïma Lemcherqui, Samya Akariou
Mohamed Ben Moussa has repudiated his third wife who eventually got married with another man. He decides to follow this man to Belgium.
MY LITTLE BUSINESS (Ma petite entreprise) 1999 – France
by Pierre Jolivet
starring Vincent Lindon, François Berléand, Roschdy Zem, Zabou Breitman
A wood worker is trying hard to make his company survive every day… But a fire in his workshop leaves him in a lot of trouble when he realizes his insurer was swindling him – he does not have any insurance…
MARRAKECH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOUNDATION
President: His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid
Deputy Vice-presidents: Mr Nour-Eddine Saïl and Mr Faïçal Laraïchi
Festival Director: Mrs Mélita Toscan Du Plantier
General Secretary: Mr Jalil Laguili
Administrator-treasurer: Mr Azeddine Benmoussa
FESTIVAL OFFICIAL WEB SITE
# # #