The opening night of this year’s Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) on Friday (November 24) night was a low-key affair in keeping with FIFM’s aim of foregoing parties and lavish red carpets in favour of a deeper cultural experience.
A few attendees even wore jeans and sneakers, an unorthodox mode of attire for any red-carpet event. But these are unusual times following the devastating earthquake in Morocco in Septemberr and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The “red carpet” for the evening was tucked away in a side room of the Palais des Congrès, a few steps from the Mövenpick Hotel where a lot of the filmmakers are staying. It was only visible to the media attending, a mix of international journalists flown in to cover the festival along with regulars attending from the French press and local crews.
While audience members might have taken a more casual approach, the glamour quotient was raised by jury president Jessica Chastain, who wore an all silver, glistening ensemble, featuring a matching chain cape, a contemporary ode to the traditional Moroccan ‘burnus”.
“Film can influence behavior by beginning to break down barriers and start important conversations about difficult topics, such as racial injustice, gender inequality and other important cultural issues,” said Chastain.
She challenged people to take action, “grab a paintbrush, an instrument or a pen, or a camera, at this moment all around the world, we need art that speaks truth to power and uplifts us all.”
Chastain’s fellow jury members joined her on stage, including actors Zar Amir, Camille Cottin, Joel Edgerton and Alexander Skarsgard, filmmakers Joanna Hogg, Dee Rees and Tarik Saleh, and Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani.
Actor Willem Dafoe was on hand to present Mads Mikkelsen with one of this year’s honorary Étoile d’Or, a tribute to the Danish actor’s prolific career. Dafoe talked about meeting Mikkelsen on the set of Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate, and discovering his talent for turning a small role into something unforgettable.
After the ceremony was a gala screening of Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, starring Glen Powell as a professor by day and a hit man (of sorts) for the New Orleans police department.
Free event
FIFM is an event that is completely free to everyone, from local cinephiles to cinema professionals, whether living in Morocco, or coming from abroad. Entry does require a badge, which provides unlimited access all the films and masterclasses and evening galas. The opening night and the 20th anniversary celebrations are by invitation only, as are the Atlas Workshops that start today, Monday November 27.
On the second night, the festival celebrated its 20th anniversary with a short ceremony, featuring most of the attending celebrities in an impressive stage lineup and a brief documentary on the festival’s history by Moroccan filmmaker Hakim Belabbes, selected guests were treated to a sit -down dinner, hosted by HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, president of the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation. The dinner was offered under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and was the only event of its kind, bringing the entire area around the Palais to a standstill. Audience members who had attended the anniversary ceremony but were not invited to the dinner had to deal with stern security guards trying to clear the area, and blocked off section of the road, a scene not unlike what one experiences in Cannes or Venice after a premiere.
Another manifestation of the more sombre mood this year has been the lack of the beloved public screenings in Jemaa el-Fnaa, the iconic square in the medina, Marrakech’s old city. A series popular with local audiences, it has featured many blockbusters during past editions, including a special screening last year of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune.
This year, Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny was scheduled to screen in the square, with Mads Mikkelsen in attendance, as well as Hindi hit Pathaan and Egyptian title Voy! Voy1 Voy! The cancellation of the public screenings came out of “a decision to concentrate on the work this year,” explained Melita Toscan du Plantier, festival director and advisor to the president.
FIFM continues until December 2nd.
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