Taking place over a 30-year time span, Nabil Ayouch’s Razzia explores five unique stories in Casablanca, the site most known for the sweeping Hollywood Bogart/Bergman tragic romance of the same name. The Casablanca depicted in Razzia is burdened by reality, where characters face their own battles of identity, prejudice, and freedom of expression against a simmering world that struggles to hold up when compared to the film classic.
Fluctuating between time and setting, the world of Razzia explores the many facets of the human condition with a blunt honesty, delving into elements of social discord as a rotating cast of characters navigates personal and political hurdles. Centering on wise school teacher Abdallah, strong willed Salima, Jewish restaurateur Joe, wannabe musician Hakim, and burdened teenager Ines, the film weaves together a multilayered narrative that presents Casablanca through the alternating lenses of what could be, and what is.
Director Biography
Nabil Ayouch is a French-Moroccan director born in 1969. He began his career as a scriptwriter before moving into directing, producing several short films. His feature-film credits include Whatever Lola Wants (’07) and God’s Horses (‘012) the latter of which earned him the Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival.
Press
"A complex and involving compound portrait of the upheaval caused by creeping theocracy and ingrained attitudes." - Screen International