Rabat – The Moroccan film The Blue Caftan or Le Bleu du Caftan directed by Maryam Touzani has been submitted as Morocco’s official entry in the Best International Feature Film Oscar category.
The film follows Halim, husband of Mina, who explores his homosexuality after developing feelings for Youssef, a new employee at the couple’s traditional caftan shop in the old media of Sale, near Rabat.
Given the prevalent homophobic sentiment in Morocco, the film was highly criticized by some segments of the Moroccan society while it gathered strong international approval.
The film notably won the International Critics’ Prize at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival and the best director and actor awards at the Angouleme Francophone Film Festival in France.
Speaking about the production, Touzani told Variety: “In Morocco, homosexuality is illegal and I don’t have words to describe how it makes me feel. As a human being, that’s something I cannot accept.”
The International Federation of Film Critics praised the Moroccan director for her “braveness,” saying that her film “show[s] us the world and the sad reality of a nation that she loves over all else.”
After being displayed at Cannes and Toronto festivals, the film “has been sold in more than 30 territories by Films Boutique until now,” the film’s producer Nabil Ayouch told Deadline.
In an interview with the American entertainment outlet, Ayouch expressed his pride to see The Blue Caftan selected as Morocco’s official entry to the Oscars.
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Ayouch and Touzani’s movies have over the years triggered public discussions in Morocco as they have addressed numerous sensitive topics such as homosexuality, prostitution, and street children.
While few of their movies were banned on the Moroccan screens or/and cinemas, they have continued to serve as main figures for the Moroccan cinema abroad. To date, five of Ayouch’s movies have been submitted as Moroccan entries for the Academy Awards.
As the Hollywood elite prepares to review The Blue Caftan in March 2023, Morocco’s LGBTQ+ community still has to stay in the closet as many in the country describe its members as “sinners” or even “pedophiles.”
“Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is high and still often treated as a disease to be cured and not merely a piece of one’s reality,” an LGBTQ+ member told MWN earlier this year. “Even starting a discussion on the subject is difficult and often leads to circular arguments.”
Read Also: Benkirane on LGBT: Morocco Is Not Europe
