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Rabat – Hind Bensari has been awarded “Best International Documentary Award” in Toronto for her documentary “We Could Be Heroes,” making her the first African filmmaker to receive the distinction.
The 31-year old producer premiered her documentary “We Could Be Heroes” as part of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary at the Toronto Film Festival, which took place April 27-May 6.
“We Could Be Heroes” is a story about Azzedine Nouiri, Moroccan world champion in seated shot-put, who inspires his childhood friend Youssef to take on the challenge of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games despite their lack of means and formal training.
Through this inspiring friendship, the documentary narrates the struggles of outcasts wanting to conquer the extraordinary in order to achieve the same rights and opportunities as ordinary athletes in Morocco.
Born in Casablanca, Hind Bensari grew up in London where she graduated with a degree in economics and Middle-Eastern studies from Edinburgh University and received a degree in development studies from the London School of Economics.
Bensari quit her job at an investment fund to return to Morocco and produce her first documentary “475: Break the Silence” in 2014.
The movie received critical acclaim from “The New York Times” and Germany’s ARD channel.
It broke the season’s audience record at 2M TV in Morocco and has been broadcast on channels worldwide including Denmark, Portugal, Canada.
More importantly, her debut film was part of a civil society movement that pressured the government to repeal a law that allowed rapists to marry their victims and avoid prosecution.
“The video started with Article 475 translated into English. I then explained that I was in the process of questioning and that I wanted to understand why Morocco came to privilege the rapist’s rescue or marriage to the integrity of a girl. I also said that I wanted to make a documentary to ask questions of people and experts to better understand this problem,” Bensari said to Media24.
