Marrakech, December 9, 2012 (MAP)
Marrakech, December 9, 2012 (MAP)
The International Marrakech Film Festival (FIFM) wrapped up another week of world class cinema and events by opting for what is bold and creative, with the Festival’s Gold Star (Etoile d’or) going to Lebanese controversial movie “L’attentat” and Danish poignant feature film, “A hijacking” winning two other awards.
The festival, which marks its twelfth edition, offered a selection of distinguished films in competition with a strong presence of Moroccan cinema represented, for the first time, by two feature films “The horses of God” by Nabil Ayouch and “Zero” by Nour-Eddine Lakhmari.
Dividing both critics and the public due to its rather controversial take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “L’attentat” was nevertheless impressive by its aesthetic and artistic touch. The film director Ziad Doueiri denied accusations of giving the other side of the story of the suffering of the Palestinian people.
“L’attentat” tells the story of Dr. Amin Jaafari, an Arab Israeli who is fully integrated into the society of Tel Aviv. Following an attack on a restaurant in the city, the Israeli police inform him that his wife was the perpetrator. Broken by the news and determined to understand what happened, Amin decides to go into the Palestinian Territories to find those who recruited his wife.
The Jury and Best Actor Awards went to Danish film “A hijacking”. The movie lead, Soren Malling, mesmerized the public in his role as head of a company negotiating the release of the crew members of his boat hijacked by Somali pirates.
The jury’s Award also went to Iranian film “Taboor” which tells the story of a man who seeks to protect his hypersensitive body from a daily rise in temperature caused by pervasive electromagnetic waves by making an aluminum jumpsuit which he wears under abundant layers of clothing.
Actress Elina Reinold won Best Actress Award for her role in the Estonian film “Mushrooming”, a political and social satire from Eastern Europe.
Created in 2010 at the 10th edition of FIFM, on the initiative of HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, President of the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation, “Cinécoles” Award for short films went to “Mejor A Better Life” by Tarik Leihemdi, from Abdelmalek Saadi University in Tetouan.
Fifteen films from different countries were in competition this year including “Horses of God”, and “Zero” (Morocco), “A Hijacking” (Denmark), “Camion” (Canada), “Flower Buds” (the Czech Republic), ” little lion” (France), “Oh Boy” (Germany), “touch of the light” (Taiwan and Hong Kong), ” L’attentat ” (Lebanon, France and Belgium), “Fatal” (south Korea), ” Gone Fishing” (Thailand), “I.D” (India), “Mushrooming” (Estonia),”Taboor” (Iran), and “Una Noche” (U.S., UK and Cuba).
