Director Nabil Ayouch stirred controversy in his native Morocco with the successful Much Loved and its honest depiction of prostitution. The scope of Razzia is larger, encompassing the whole of Casablanca society through several characters, their dreams and personal story lines: a young wife stuck in an abusive marriage who refuses to conform with the traditional stereotypes of women; a Jewish restaurant owner caught between his desires and his heritage; an aspiring singer and Queen fan who wants to break free; a spoiled teenager discovering her sexuality.
This dense juxtaposition of destinies, troubled loves, frustrations and inner tensions is a perfect mirror of contemporary Morocco. Ayouch piles them upon one another as a countdown to an unavoidable, explosive conclusion and a cry for freedom: razzia means ‘raid’ in Arabic, and the film sizzles with urgency and necessity.
Film details
- Country of production
- Belgium
- Year
- 2017
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2018
- Length
- 109"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
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