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Film Industry

In 1944 the Centre Cinématographique Marocain (CCM) and the Studios du Souisi of Rabat were created. An entire generation of filmmakers and technicians who had graduated from the famous French film school joined the CCM, an institution where they were able to make various cinema newsreels (before television), documentaries and short films in the 1960s. In 1968, the first genuine Moroccan feature film was made: Vaincre pour Vivre by Mohamed Ben Abdelwahid Tazi and Ahmed Mesnaoui. This was an event and Moroccan cinema was about to take off. In 1973, the Fédération Nationale des Ciné-Clubs Marocains (FNCCM) was founded by the former editor of “Cinéma 3 “, Nour-Eddine, Saïl. The creation of this federation was to give rise to various film clubs in the cities and towns all over Morocco in a truly enriching experience. The end of the 1970s was a period of transition, which was to announce the birth of a certain commercial cinema where the directors were defined “prize hunters” after the creation in 1980 of the Support Fund. Other filmmakers, however, stood out with strong works. The amalgamation of these two trends was to lead to a certain frenzy. An increasing number of films were made, with quantity but not quality. This did not prevent the organization of the first National Festival of Moroccan Cinema, from being held in Rabat in 1982 and in Casablanca in 1984. The National Film Festival of Meknès (1991) saw the appearance of courageous and popular films, accessible to a large public such as Un amour à Casamblanca by Abdelkader Lagtâa and La plage des enfants perdus by Jillali Ferhati. These set the tone and films for the general public. Other national festivals held in Tangiers (1995), Casablanca (1998) and Marrakesh (2001) have re-launched a cinema, which is continuously seeing the light of day.

In 1998, Izza Genini’s Pour Le plaisir Des Yeux (1997), Noureddine Lakhmari’s Ne sans Skis Aux Pieds (1997), Nabil Ayouch’s Mektoub (1997), and Saad Chraibi’s Femmes... Et Femmes were all included in the festival circuit. Similarly, 1999 saw Ali Assafi’s General, Nous Voila! (1997), Faouzi Bensaidi’s La Falaise (1998), Abdelkader Lagtaa’s Les Casablancas (1998) and Farida Benlyazid’s Keid Ensa: La Femme Au Basilic (1999). Chroniques Marocaines by Moumen Smihi was in competition at Milan 2000.Ali Zaoua by Nabil Ayouch won the Stallion of Yennenga at Fespaco 2001 and the second Prize in its category at Milan 2001.

Morocco is becoming these last years one of the privileged sites where international directors and producers like to shoot films. About 20 to 30 films are made every year. Americans but also French, Italians, British or Dutch find this land the stimulating place for imagination realms.
Morocco sunny and light side of life, its privileged geography, both hot and tempered climatically, is one of the few countries that is endowed with nature. Located at the gate of Africa and Europe, bordered by the Mediterranean in the north, and by the Atlantic in the west, being largely open on the Sahara desert, the country has always been the hub of history making and place for ideal shooting.

Useful links

 www.alwanforthearts.org