Rabat – Director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), Abdelaziz Bouzdaini, and Carlo Gentile, Head of International Relations at Italian production company Rai Cinema, met on Sunday in Venice to discuss enhancing collaboration between Morocco and Italy in the realm of film production.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st Venice International Film Festival, which was slated between August 28 and September 7.
The two officials agreed to expand the reach of Moroccan cinema in Italy, with the aim of introducing Morocco’s cinematic heritage to a broader audience, MAP reported.
Bouzdaini told the news agency that this cooperation involves the acquisition of Moroccan films produced before 2022 and the distribution of restored films from CCM’s archives, including classics such as “Soleil du printemps” by filmmaker Latif Lahlou.
He added that Rai Cinema will handle the Italian dubbing of these films, noting that this would help promote Moroccan culture and cinema in Italy, particularly among Moroccan, Maghrebian, and Arab communities residing in the country.
Bouzdaini said that this collaboration follows an initial meeting with Gentile during the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where they explored ways to boost cultural and professional ties between Morocco and Italy and create new opportunities for bilateral collaboration in the cinematic and artistic fields.
Meanwhile, Gentile expressed enthusiasm about the growing prominence of Moroccan cinema and emphasized that the goal of this bilateral cooperation is to enhance the visibility of Moroccan films in Italy. This will be achieved through television broadcasts, participation in festivals, and cultural events such as Moroccan film weeks in Italy, he said.
To facilitate Italian audience access to Moroccan films, the movies will be presented either with Italian subtitles or dubbed into Italian.
Gentile added that the two countries plan to organize meetings between their respective producers to explore co-production opportunities and scout locations in Morocco, which is an established filming destination for international cinema productions.
Several Moroccan cities, including Essaouira and Ouarzazate, were the backdrop of prominent movies and series. This includes the popular series Game of Thrones and the Gladiator movie, among others.
