World premiere
Fez Summer '55
Summer of 1955 in Fez – a summer day in the vivacious Medina of this beautiful Moroccan city. Due to the occupying French forces, the tension is quite high. Director Abdelhaï Laraki decided to use a historical approach but tackles issues of contemporary Morocco.
11-year-old cinema lover Kamal lives in the Medina before Morocco has gained its independence. We witness his first love towards his neighbour Aïcha. With Aïcha and her fellow students, Kamal takes part in the fight for freedom and the carefree child develops into an aware teenager.
Wonderful actors, vivid camerawork and defined production design reflect the claustrophobic ambience of Fez. Laraki concludes his marvellous film with a positive message: Never give up your beliefs. Just a few months after the depicted events, Morocco gained its independence.
Niki Nikitin
Abdelhaï Laraki (1949) is known for tackling sensitive themes in works that have been hailed by critics and acclaimed by audiences. A graduate of Lumière and the Sorbonne with Jean Rouch, he belongs to the new wave of Moroccan filmmakers of the 1990s who emerged with a new narrative. His cinema deals with political repression ("Mona saber"), the power of money ("Parfum de mer") or sexual frustration in "Love in the Medina", a film that was at the heart of the debates during the Arab Spring. His work has gained international recognition. The common thread running through his films is a reflection on human's relationship with history, power and religion. In his 4th fiction feature "Fez Summer '55", Laraki pays a personal tribute to the women and men who struggled for independence.
Filmography:
Mona Saber (2001), Parfum de mer (2006), Jnah l'hwa (Love in the Medina, 2011), Fez Summer '55 (2023)