Rabat – The Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) is set to stream a selection of Moroccan movies for free, starting Tuesday, March 31.
The offer aims to provide a new source of entertainment for Moroccans during the period of national lockdown, declared on March 19 and implemented on March 20, to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
The CCM made “an eclectic and multi-audience list” of 25 movies that are more or less recent. All the movies have expired commercial licenses.
The movies will be available on the center’s website at all times until the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, around May 22-23. The period of availability may be further extended if necessary.
The initiative hopes to “allow the greatest number of moviegoers in Morocco and abroad to watch and discover, at the convenience of each, the richness of the Moroccan cinematographic heritage,” stated the CCM in a press release.
The center is set to announce the movie list later today, March 30, on its website.
“The CCM would like to thank … all of the rights holders who accepted this free broadcast with enthusiasm and generosity,” concluded the statement.
The initiative comes as Morocco enters its second week under a state of emergency. The lockdown requires all Moroccans to remain in their homes except for three reasons: Work, essential grocery shopping, and medical emergencies.
The lockdown has forced millions of Moroccans to change their habits, especially in terms of entertainment.
In a recent survey, Morocco’s Center of Interprofessional Media Audiences (CIAUMED) revealed that Moroccan households have increased their daily television intake by an hour and a half since the lockdown began.
The CCM’s initiative is expected to broaden the range of indoor entertainment activities available for Moroccans during the period of confinement.
