Cinema: Morocco, from Hollywood backdrop to exporter of stories
Long favored as a filming destination for international blockbusters, Morocco is taking a new step forward. Driven by tax incentives and a new generation of producers, Moroccan cinema is now making its way onto major global markets.
The presence of a high-profile Moroccan delegation at this year’s European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin illustrates this transformation, writes Variety magazine. While the kingdom continues to attract blockbusters such as Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” — notably thanks to an attractive 30% tax credit — the ambition today is to bring local stories to the world. “We are a country of stories,” emphasizes Mohammed Reda Benjelloun, director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), who selected ten local producers to promote their projects on the Berlin stage.
Film industry: the rise of Moroccan “soft power”
This momentum is underpinned by the sector’s gradual structuring, which began in 2018. The creation of the Atlas Workshops at the Marrakech Festival served as a springboard, supporting more than 150 projects and revealing talents such as Asmae El Moudir (“The Mother of All Lies”). At the same time, national production has surged, rising from a handful of films in the early 2000s to 54 feature films last year.
The revolution also involves a change in status: once mere service providers, Moroccan professionals are becoming full-fledged creative partners. The crime series “K-1,” presented at the Berlinale Series Market, is a perfect illustration. Created by showrunner Khadija Alami, it demonstrates that Moroccan creators can compete “on the same level as British, French or American creators.”
To support this momentum, training is being strengthened. The ESAV school in Marrakech, headed by filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem, and the Tamayouz Foundation, which promotes women in cinema, are working to professionalize every link in the chain. The challenge is clear for producer Lamia Chraibi: “If we do not tell our own stories, Orientalist narratives will persist.”
