The History of Moroccan Cinema

Presented by :

Ahmed Boukranaa

Introduction I. Part One :The Colonial Cinema 1. The Encounter with the Medium2. Cinema and Colonialism II . Part Two :Postcolonial Moroccan

Cinema 3. Setting the Medium for a National Cinema 4. Waves of Moroccan Cinema and Co-

production Conclusion Bibliography

Outline

Film as a medium was invented in the West during the zenith of colonialism.

the Sykes-Picot agreement . the ratification of the protectorate in 1912 .

long-lasting political and economic dependency .

Morocco as a French protectorate was also dominated culturally.

Introduction

1.The Encounter with the Medium

Part One : Colonial Cinema

Films produced by the Lumiére Brothers were sent to be projected for audiences in the colonies

Films of the Lumiére brothers were used as a propaganda by French authorities .

first projection in Morocco took place in 1897 .

The Lumiére brothers in 1895 dispatched a cameraman a Pied Noire Felix Mesguich to North Africa and Indochina to bring images of the world.

In 1907 he witnessed the French invasion of Morocco .

1.The Encounter with the Medium

The first movie theatres in Morocco were owned by Europeans or Jews .

Not a single feature film was shot by native director before independence in 1956 .

Cultural and economic dependency . Morocco has witnessed cinematographic production beginning from 1919 .

Mektoub by J.Pinoclin and D.Quintin (1919) . Allah’s Blood (Le Sang D’Allah) . In the Shadow of the Harem ( Dans L’Ombre du Harem , 1928) .

Itto (1934).

Cont…

These works used Morocco also as an exotic backdrop.

“a sunny land ripe for adventure, where Arabs are happy monkeys praising Allah for sending them the civilizing influence of French colonialism.” (25)

The 1920s and the 1930s France . Films directors were obliged by colonial authorities to avoid any topic that tackles social and political realities in the colonies.

The colonial authorities use cinema as a sight of confronting the spreading spirit of revolt and at the same time convey to Moroccans a positive image about France .

Cont…

Beginning from 1939 the French colonial authorities went on the offensive .

The first Moroccan Laboratory for cinematography in Casablanca in 1939 (Cinéphone).

Controlling the medium through “Dahirs” or Les Arrêtés Résidentiele. The royal Dahir of December 9,1940(modified in August 14,1941 , April ,1942 )had given the French full control over the cinema industry.

The Arrêté Résidentiele of November 2,1944. Projecting the filmed news France Libre Actualités . The royal Dahir of January 8,1946. The royal decree of January 7,1940 ,supported French censorship . Le Groupement de L’Industrie Cinématographic (GIC) ,transformed into the Service du Cinéma (SDC) by the Résident Général in February 3,1944 .

1944 the Centre Cinématographic Maroccain (CCM) . The Dahir of November 29,1949, the Arrêté Résidentiele of January 17,1950

Films used as a propaganda and education tool .

2.Colonialism and Cinema

The CCM was involved in a various activities other than producing and distributing films .

The system of ciné-buses . Not only propaganda but also economic profit .

Ciné-clubs . Cinéma for Youth Association . The Mission Culturelle et Universitaire Française 1958 .

The Dahir of November 15,1958

Cont…

The French did not only confine their aggressive strategies to the propaganda film .

Souissi Studios in Rabat , Ain Shok in Casa Blanca Studios, both Studios were created in 1946 .

A Moroccan Hollywood as counterweight to Egyptian cinema . Using Moroccan Arabic. Serenade to Maryam (Maazafa Muhda illa Maryam , Sérenade à Meryem) , The Cobber from Cairo ( Iscafi Al Quhira ; Sarvetier du Caire ) , and The Seventh Gate ( al-Bab al-Sabeiaa;La Septiéme Porte) 1947.

100 feature film were shot in Morocco without including thousands of folkloric or propaganda documentaries .

“ Commission D’Agrément des Scénarios” which was created on January 9 ,1953.

The French refused that Moroccan partake the cinema industry.

Cont…

The importance of the medium in supporting and expressing national self-assertion and liberation.

Counter-representations and also counter- propaganda.

The Boujloud Case . The years 1947-48 . Boycotts ,demonstrations, riots and police actions spread to ciné-theatre in every major city.

Cont…

Bourgeois nationalists mounted a boycott against the Boujloud during the Arab-Israeli war.

Running it out of business ,they bought it. The 1940s were not peaceful years in Fez due to some political , economic ,and cultural events.

The ciné-theatre were divided on the basis of class and identity .

1948 , Morocco had 85 moviehouses which sold 600.000 tickets.

Automatically a division in types of cinemas meant a division in taste.

Cont…

Nationalist together with Moroccan authorities had the attention to preserve culture and national identity.

The Pasha of Fez prohibited Muslim women to enter the Boujloud Gardens.

“the Pasha of Tétouan built a new moviehouse reserved for women only”

Cont…

The Boujloud cinema was owned by a group of Frenchmen and Jews led by Robert Lente .

Frequented by the popular class that prefers the Egyptian films.

Istiqulal party which its headquarter was situated close to that cinema.

The Boujloud cinema had become a meeting point between the Arab culture and politics .

Mohamed Laghzaoui was the leader of the group that had called for the boycott and also the leader of the owners .

Cont…

Most of the accusations that the colonial authorities were directing at the group circulated around anti-Semitism and Fascism.

Eid Sghir 1948 :the cinema opened for one day .

“ Two films Sallmah (1945) , and Long Live Women (1943) for the Egyptian director Togo Mizrahi”

A Jewish Egyptian Director , Laghzaoui’s lawyer himself Joseph Jacob was a Jew.

It was a battle over the public sphere and the venues of propaganda .

Cont…

Post-Colonial Moroccan Cinema

Part Two :

The independence period was marked by a reduction in the quantity and the quality of films produced locally .

The biggest constraint was foreign competition .

a) Monopolizing importation via public institutions

b) Monopolizing the distribution network through taxation and fees.

1. Setting the Medium for a National Cinema

Moroccan cinema suffered also from financial and technical problems .

Public investment in production is very slow and small in budget .

The Auteur style is imposed not chosen . The lack of technically qualified professionals and technological material.

Ahmed Maanouni and Jilalli Ferhati trained by the French .

Hamid Benani and Ahmed Boullan studied abroad .

Cont…

Public investment/censorship . The CCM , the Service du Cinéma ,and the Fond de Soutien a L’expansion de l’ Industrie Cinématographic remained playing the same roles .

Giving awards reaching 50 % of the cost of the production .

Denying awards as a punishment in case of tackling taboos .

Trespassing taboos can take place at the esthetic level .

Escaping to Co-Production .

Cont …

The directors are Weakened by the system of production.

Two solutions : either going back to the pre-industrial system or relying on foreign investment.

Co-Production to avoid censorship , saving hard currency , and acquiring a distribution channel in the West .

2. Waves of Moroccan Cinema and Co-production

Mohamed Osfour started in1941. His first film was Ghaba (forest, 1941) or L’Enfant de la Jungle ( The Child of the Forest , 1943).

He makes two films after independence L’Enfant Maudit( The Cursed Child ,1957) and Le Tresor Infernal ( Infernal Treasure ,1968 ) .

During the 1960s only three long métrage , with a French style mixed with the Egyptian musicals .

Cont…

The first was Life is a Struggle (Al-Hayato Kifah ,Vaincre pour Vivre ,1968 ) by Mohamed Ben Abdrahmane Tazi and Ahmed Mesnaoui .

The second film was by Abdelaziz Ramadani and Larbi Benani and was entitled When Ripen the Dates (Quand Murissent les Dattes,1968) .

The third was for Latif Lahlou and was entitled Springs sun (Soleil de Printemps ,1969) .

No serious talk about the colonial period just hints due to censorship.

Cont…

The 1970s witnessed the production of 15 films all of them through co-production.

Sigma 3 (a group of directors). Among which Wechma (1970) by Hamid Benani .

The years 1980s had witnessed the return of public support .

35 films were produced The appearance of new directors.

Cont…

Two main reasons behind this: New generation of graduated directors . Large quantity of films with small budget . Farida Bourquia’s Al Jamra (La Braise ,Ember ;1982) .

Farida Belyazid’s Une Porte sur le Ciel ( Bab Sma , Door to the Sky ;1987).

Mohamed Abdurrahman Tazi’s Le Grand Voyage ( The Great Trip,1981) and Badis ( 1988) .

Hakim Nouri’s Le Facteur ( The Postman ,1980).

Cont…

Moroccan cinema continued in the 1990s on the quantitative and the qualitative scale.

The years of women par excellence . 49 long feature film were produced. Femmes …et Femmes (Women…and Women ,1998) by Saad Chraibi .

Ruses de Femmes ( women’s ruses, 1999) by Farida Belyazid .

Ali , Rabia et les Autres (1999) by Ahmed Boulane .

Cont…

The years 2000 ,breaking all the rules and taboos .

100 film and still continuing .

The intervention of public organization,

private sector and co-production .

The topics are different.

Cont…

Emigration: Mohamed Ismail’s Et Aprés (Wa baad,2002)

Sex: Samira in the Farm (Samira fi daiaa,2010) by Latif Lahlo

Sexuality and prostitution : Mostapha Derkaoui’s film Casa by Night(2007).

Religion : Islamour (2008) by Saad Chraibi.

Politics : Moullay Chrif Street(Derb Moulay Cherif, by Hassan Ben Jelloun

Other movies have chosen to rebel against the Moroccan tradition and culture.

Ahmed Boullan film Les Anges de Satan(2010). The recent trend is concerned with gender identity and roles .

Androman from Blood and Coal (Androman min Dam wa Fahm , Androman de Song et Charbon,2012) by Azarab Alaoui .

Jasmine and the Men(Yasmin et les Hommes, Yasmine Wa Rijal ,2007) by Abdlkader Legtaa.

Number One(2008) by Zakia Tahiri .

Cont…

As a product of its social and economic background ,Moroccan cinema reflects the general mood of people.

The economic limits and censorship are real obstacles .

keeping connection with the identity they communicate.

failure and pessimism are the real pillars of Moroccan cinema .

Conclusion

Devin Dwyer. Beyond Casablanca .Bloomington :Indiana U.P . 2004

Gayle Carter Sandra .What Moroccan Cinema : A Historical and Critical Study ,1956-2006.Plymouth:lexington .2009

Mikhail. Mona N.Seen and Heard a Century of Arab Women in Literature and Culture .Massachusetts :interlink P.G .2004

Thompson Elizabeth F. Politics in Other Screens :Contesting Movie Censorship in the Late French Empire . Oxford: The Middle East Center U.O .2009

Shafik Viola .Arab Cinema :History and Cultural Identity .Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.3ed.2003

Bibliography