20TH edition NOVEMBER 24 TO DECEMBER 2, 2023
20th edition
November 24 to December 2, 2023
A true pioneer of Moroccan cinema, Farida Benlyazid has to her credit many accomplishments that have made her a central figure in the nationâs cinema. She is the first Moroccan woman to produce a film, an accomplished screenwriter who has written several classics such as Poupées de roseaux (1981), Badis (1989) and Looking for My Wifeâs Husband (1995) and the director of a body of work that addresses issues of spirituality, the status of women in society and the quest for justice and truth. A free and independent artist, Benlyazid has paved the way for many Moroccan women directors who have looked to the director of A Door to the Sky (1989) and Womenâs Wiles (1999) as an inspiration and a model.
The daughter of a rich merchant, Lalla Aïcha has always had everything she wanted. As she has no mother, her nurse, Dada Mbarka, allows her every indulgence. One day, while watering her basil plants, she meets the Kingâs son on the terraceâand her life is turned upside down. Is it love? Most certainlyâbut this spoiled child does not relish being made mock of, and responds to the princeâs contemptuous manner in kind. With oratorical jousting and incredible actions, Lalla puts the prince through every emotion, arousing his interest until she wins his esteem. Womenâs Wiles is a clever, spicy tale of the ages-old struggle of the sexesâwhich, like any self-respecting love story, comes to a happy ending.
Director Farida Benlyazid
Producer Farida Benlyazid
Screenwriter Farida Benlyazid
Cinematographer Serge Palatsi
Production Designer Mohamed Raïs, Lamal Menebhi
Editor Kahéna Attia
Sound Faouzi Thabet
Production Company Tingitania Films, Waka Films, Touza Productions, Cepheide Production