Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 8:37
Lisbon – The Portuguese capital Lisbon will host, from October 1 to 5, the first edition of the Arab Film Festival with the participation of Morocco.
Morocco will be represented by “Everybody Loves Touda” by director Nabil Ayouch and “Les Meutes” directed by Kamal Lazraq, during this event dedicated to the celebration of contemporary Arab cinema.
The festival aims to promote dialogue and better understanding between different cultures, through a variety of films that reflect the cultural, social and political richness of the Arab world, according to a press release from the organizers.
This edition offers a rich program with a selection of films representing the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. The public will have the opportunity to view award-winning films and participate in discussions with filmmakers and industry experts.
The opening ceremony will be marked by the screening of the Moroccan film “Everybody Loves Touda”, which was selected to represent Morocco at the 2025 Academy Awards in the category of best foreign language film.
The film tells the story of Touda, a young woman who aspires to become a sheikha and who unapologetically sings songs of resistance, love and liberation. The film takes viewers on an emotional journey that highlights the captivating story of a young woman whose destiny is turned upside down by a series of unexpected events.
The festival also devotes a space to Palestinian cinema, with the documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias” by Lina Soualem and “Wajib” by Annemarie Jacir.
In addition to the Moroccan film “Les Meutes”, the list of participating films includes “Six Feet on Earth” by director Karim Bensalah, “Abou Leila” by director Amin Sidi-Boumédiène (Algeria), “Mandoob” by director Ali Kalthami (Arabia). Arabia), “Barely I Open My Eyes” by director Leila Bouzid (Tunisia), “Costa Brava” directed by Monia Akl (Lebanon), and “Inshallah Walad” directed by Amjad Al-Rashid (Jordan).