21st Marrakech Film Festival pays moving tribute to Moroccan talent

The 21st Marrakech International Film Festival is celebrating Moroccan cinema, including the premiere of Daoud Aoulad-Syad’s ‘The Blue Lake’ and a heartfelt tribute to late actress Naïma Elmcherqui.

The Marrakech International Film Festival is currently taking place in the Morocco’s most popular city, where 70 features from 32 different countries are being showcased for movie lovers to devour.
Thrilled to return to his home country, Daoud Aoulad-Syad, known for feature films like Adieu forain (1998) and Waiting for Pasolini (2007), presented The Blue Lake, filmed in the heart of the Moroccan desert.
The film tells the story of Youssef, a 12-year-old blind orphan who is given a camera that sparks his desire to photograph everything around him. He embarks on an adventure to find and photograph a blue lake in the desert.
Daoud Aoulad-Syad shared the inspiration behind the film,* recounting a unique encounter in the Moroccan desert: “I met blind Swiss individuals who came to the region for a trek to Lake Iriqui in the Moroccan desert. I wondered how these blind people could come here to walk, and among them, there was a photographer. Thanks to him, I found the idea inspiring, and from that moment, we wrote the script.”
The director also reflected on the film’s casting process, noting the ease of working with seasoned performers but highlighting one particular challenge: “The casting was straightforward because they are theatre actors, experienced performers I’ve worked with before. But the most challenging part was selecting the child actor, as I didn’t want to cast a sighted child to play the role of a blind one. Surrounded by skilled actors, he integrated well, but it took time, and I believe the result is successful.”
The artistic director of the 21st edition, Rémi Bonhomme, wanted to pay tribute to a legendary Moroccan actress, Naïma Elmcherqui, who passed away on 5 October 2024, at the age of 81. She was a key figure in Morocco’s cinema, theatre, and television scene.
Her daughter, journalist Yasmine Khayat, was emotional and proud to accept the award on her mother’s behalf: “Grieving will take its time; that’s how life works. But at the same time, we feel the solidarity of the film community in honouring her memory and, above all, her commitment to theatre, cinema, and Moroccan arts.”
“Her social engagement will also be celebrated tonight. She did a lot to promote and empower Moroccan women, youth, and children. She was a UNICEF ambassador and truly did what was needed,” Khayat added.
The Marrakech International Film Festival runs until 7 December 2024.