In an interview granted to MAP on the sidelines of the participation of his film “The Brother” in the official competition of fiction and documentary short films of the 24th National Film Festival (FNF) of Tangier, Younes Bouab explained that this dynamic is reflected in the participation of Moroccan films in renowned festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, where they stand out for their artistic quality.
“This success on the international scene contributes to the notoriety of Moroccan cinema, while opening new horizons to wider distribution in foreign circuits,” he noted, calling, in this sense, all parties stakeholders in the sector to support this trend, in particular by creating adequate infrastructure and establishing more accessible financing channels.
“Partnerships with international producers and distributors can also play an important role in promoting Moroccan films abroad,” he said.
Mr. Bouab also noted that a new wind is blowing on the Moroccan cinematographic landscape, with the emergence of around ten young directors who are beginning to distinguish themselves through their professionalism in terms of co-production, noting that these filmmakers are achieving to raise more substantial funds and gain visibility at the national and international level.
Regarding his participation in the 24th edition of the FNF, he underlined that his short film “The Brother”, produced in self-production, embodies an artistic approach inspired by the Dogme95 cinematographic movement, favoring natural lighting and a documentary approach.
“I opted for a hand-held camera, with a small crew. My intention was to create a simple narrative, centered on a story of revenge, in order to involve the audience in an authentic emotional experience”, explained this big movie buff.
Returning to this first experience as a director, he explained that this desire to gradually return to writing and to develop short and feature film projects manifested itself naturally, expressing his determination to continue this adventure and to deepen his cinematographic explorations.
In “The Brother”, Younes Bouab tells, in 15 minutes, the story of a brother who returns to his town to carry out revenge, after his sister’s insistence.
With a varied and rich selection of Moroccan films, the Tangier National Film Festival, placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, highlights contemporary works, but also innovative creations which illustrate the diversity of the seventh art.