23rd edition November 20th to 28th, 2026
23rd edition
20 to 28 November, 2026
Meryem Benm'Barek was born in Rabat and grew up in Morocco, France, and Belgium. In 2010, she enrolled in the filmmaking program at INSAS in Brussels, where she directed short films, including Jennah, which was selected for several international festivals and nominated for an Academy Award in 2015. In 2018, Sofia, her first feature-length film, won the Best Screenplay Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Festival de Cannes before going on to win several international awards. Behind the Palm Trees, her second feature, has its world premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival.
In Tangier, Mehdi’s relationship with Selma is shaken when he meets Marie, a wealthy young French woman whose parents have bought a luxurious villa in the casbah. Drawn to her glamorous lifestyle, he neglects Selma, pretending not to see that his choices will catch up with him.
Director Meryem Benm’Barek
Producer Jean Bréhat, Emma Binet, Souad Lamriki, Olivier Dubois, Tristan Goligher
Screenwriter Meryem Benm’Barek, Fyzal Boulifa, Emma Benestan, Agnès Feuvre
Cinematographer Son Doan
Production Designer Itaf Benjelloun
Editor Christel Dewynter
Sound Fabrice Osinski
Music Jim Williams
Production Companies Tessalit Productions, Furyo Films, Agora Films, Novak Prod, The Bureau
International Sales Company Pyramide International
Distributor MAD Distribution