Morocco on the Screen: Cinema in the New Morocco

Abstract

Since 1999, contemporary cinematography, similar to literature, has engaged some of the most pressing subjects of the day in Morocco. Films made in recent years such as Tabite or not Tabite (2006), Marock (2005), J’ai vu tuer Ben Barka (I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed, 2005), Le Grand Voyage (The Long Voyage, 2004), and Les Yeux Secs (Dry Eyes, 2002) have exposed once taboo subjects on the screen. Themes have ranged from political corruption, police brutality, and torture during the Lead Years, to issues entreating discussions about sexuality, women’s emancipation, and certain disadvantageous aspects of Islam for men and women. Immigration to the West and the dismal plight of immigrant groups in Europe have also been subjects routinely depicted.