Moroccan Movie a Hit with American Students

John Hamilton reports from an American college where screening of a Moroccan film has opened cross-cultural bridges.

The mood in the Flavin Auditorium at the University of Massachusetts last Wednesday night could be described as both eager and anxious.

Anne Ciecko, a member of the Interdepartmental Film Program and curator of the Panorama event, provided a brief introduction to the film.

"A contemporary classic of Arab cinema, the film is an expression of Islam through a hybrid of classic Islamic teachings and popular Islamic traditions," Ciecko said.

Ciecko also pointed out that Farida Ben Lyzaid, the female director of "Sky," dedicated the film to Fatina Fihra, a Muslim woman and founder of one of the world's oldest universities, constructed in 10th century Fez, Morocco.

In line with her film, the director hoped to "acknowledge that women held important roles in Islamic history and culture," According to Ciecko.

The film depicts the journey of Nadia (Chaidia Hadraoui), a Moroccan emigrant who returns to her home in Fez after having left for Paris many years prior.

A mix of Thandie Newton and Cosby-era Lisa Bonet, Hadraoui's striking features and piercing black eyes express more longing and emotion than any 100-page screenplay could ever hope to convey.

Nadia arrives in Fez for her father's funeral dressed in black punk clothing, with streaks of scarlet dyed into her frizzy mop, and it first appears that this will be just another fish-out-of-water tale.

Surprisingly, the director does not follow the cliché plot points of a westernized woman feeling out of place in her Muslim home. Instead, Lyzaid approaches the story through a route less-often traveled: Nadia must come to terms with the idea that after years of searching for what she thought she could find in the western world, she may actually discover in the place that she had initially left behind.

The film makes oft-repeated use of the panoramic views of the city, a jigsaw puzzle of sandcastles eclipsed by distant gray mountains.

Through this technique, the audience is constantly reminded that they are watching a Moroccan film.

Constant prayer chanting is also heard throughout the film, serving as an ever-present soundtrack to the life that Nadia is taking on.

Initially meant to be an event showcasing two films, the first, a short film entitled "Under the Sun," experienced some technical difficulties, and could not be shown. Had it been screened, it would have been its New England premiere. Director Ali Mostafa, a graduate of the prestigious London Film School, produced this short as a senior project, and is currently working on his first feature-length film.

The Arab Cinema Panorama screenings will continue weekly through December.



John B. Hamilton can be reached at hamilton@student.umass.edu.


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