In this 85-minute feature film, Mohamed Khouyi plays a moving character who accompanies Youssef, a 12-year-old blind orphan. Raised by his grandfather in an isolated village in the heart of the desert, the boy discovers the world thanks to a camera given by the latter. This visual and spiritual quest leads him to an enigmatic destination: the legendary blue lagoon. Marja Zarqa combines poetry and depth to question the relationship between light and darkness, dream and reality.
In the absence of Mohamed Khouyi, producer Abdessalam El Meftahi received the trophy, declaring: “This recognition honors Mohamed Khouyi, a pillar of Moroccan cinema, and highlights his immense talent.”
This edition of the festival was marked by a strong Moroccan presence. Radia, directed by Khaoula Assebab Benomar, was selected for the “International Critics’ Week”, while Ana Machi Ana by Hicham El Jabbari enriched the special screenings. In addition, the Cairo film forum hosted Al-Matroud Min Rahmat Allah, a powerful work by Hicham Al-Assri, thus confirming the diversity and vitality of Moroccan seventh art.
The Cairo International Film Festival remains an essential platform for celebrating Arab and world cinema. This 45th edition put 194 works from 72 countries into competition, offering a mosaic of cultures and stories. The grand prize, the Golden Pyramid, was awarded to the Romanian film “This New Year That Never Came” by Bogdan Mureşanu.
