Dean Crowe Theatre Athlone

Tuesday 12 September 2023 8pm

Dir: Maryam Touzani - France, Morocco, Belgium 2022

Language: Arabic with subtitles

Running time: 122 minutes Cert: CLUB

Starring: Lubna Azabal, Saleh Bakri, Ayoub Missioui.

Halim (Saleh Bakri) has been married for a long time to Mina (Lubna Azabal), with whom he runs a traditional caftan store in the médina of Salé, in Morocco, where they create exquisitely finished hand-sewn garments. As Mina’s health begins to fade, they employ a young apprentice. The new arrival unknowingly disturbs the careful equilibrium of their lives. For theirs is a loving marriage designed to hide a secret.

Thoughtful, sensual, and deeply moving, Maryam Touzani’s (Adam, 2019), drama traces the melancholy and loneliness of maintaining a secret, and the sudden joyous release to be found in living one’s life to the fullest. Brilliantly acted, it’s an overwhelmingly tender character study where each will help the other face their fears.

Festivals:
Cannes Film Festival, 2022
Toronto International Film Festival, 2022
BFI London Film Festival, 2022
Cork International Film Festival, 2022
International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2023

Awards:
Winner, Maryam Touzani, FIPRESCI Prize, Un Certain Regard, 2022

Quotes:
“…Maryam Touzani’s gentle observation of her characters in a film of exquisite sensuality and sadness. – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter.

“……'The Blue Caftan' dares to imagine a world where there’s room for both appreciation of the old ways and room to evolve.” - Peter Debruge, Variety.