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Al-Hareb (Wanted) U.S. PREMIERE (27 min.)
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2011. Morocco/UAE. Written and directed by Ali Essafi.

Known as the “years of lead,” the 1970s in Morocco were marked by severe police crackdowns on dissent, with arbitrary arrests and detention and torture in secret prisons. To survive, a number of activists lived clandestinely. Essafi uses archival footage to tell the story of Aziz, a 23-year-old activist dreaming of freedom and democracy, who lived under an assumed identity for two years before he was identified and arrested.

** There will be a Q&A with the director!


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Al-Sarab (The Mirage) U.S. PREMIERE (110 min.)
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1979. Morocco. Directed by Ahmed Bouanani. With Mohamed

Habachi, Mohamed Saïd Afifi, Fatima Regragui. 

Bouanani’s only feature film played a pivotal role in bringing experimentation to Moroccan cinema. A young peasant’s attempt to change money he finds in a bag of flour takes him on a journey through the city’s dark layers and labyrinths. The film abounds with allusions to literature and film, Morocco’s rich history and oral traditions, and the ever-present specter of colonialism.