World premiere
Mira
She’s taught to fear the outsider. But it’s his presence that awakens her deepest self.
In a quiet Moroccan village nestled between sun-baked hills, 13-year-old Mira (Safaa Khatami) lives with her stern, widowed grandmother, Zainab (Fatima Attif). Her world is simple. Trees. Traps. The flutter of wings. Mira spends her days freeing wild birds, chasing shadows through pine-scented forests. But one day, strangers arrive. Illegal immigrants. Foreign. Silent. Hunted. They speak in a language she doesn’t know – but something in her stirs.
Zainab clings to tradition. She fears change. She fears outsiders. But at school, Mira’s teacher Lamia (Zaynab Alji) fans a different fire – one of curiosity, freedom, and quiet rebellion. Mira stands between them, between obedience and awakening, between fear and desire.
With lush visuals and aching restraint, “Mira” weaves the story of three women – three generations – tied by blood, broken by silence, and pulled by the winds of change. From acclaimed director Nour Eddine Lakhmari (“Casanegra”), comes a bold, lyrical drama about borders, girlhood, and the cost of becoming free.
Milani Perera
Nour Eddine Lakhmari (1964) is a Moroccon director, producer, musician and screenwriter. At the age of 19, he went to France to study pharmacy. After two years, he decided to leave pharmacy school and pursue life as an artist. He continued his studies at the Academy of Cinema in Norway. He shot his first short films in Oslo, Norway and earned admission to The Oslo Cinema Academy. He directed his first feature film “Le Regard” in 2005. It received wide critical acclaim in Morocco and Scandinavia. It was followed by “Casa Negra” in 2008 which went on to win numerous international awards. The film was Morocco' s official entry to the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film category (same honour was also given to Lakhmari´s 2017 feature film “Burnout”). “Zero” (2012), his third feature film was awarded best film award in his homeland for year 2013 and was also a box office hit.
Filmography:
Le regard (2005), Casanegra (2008), Zero (2012), Burnout (2017), Mira (2025)
Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela
