20/06/2012 - Recently awarded at the Tolentino IFF, Abdelhaï Laraki's film will be released by Whiterose Pictures

The film Love in the Medina, produced by A2L (Casablanca) and Zen Zero (Rome), in collaboration with Warner Chappell Music Italy, SNRT and CCM, has taken away the Best Film Award in the 1st edition of the Tolentino IFF, that took place between June 7th and 10th.

The prize shall allow the distribution of the film in Italy by the distribution outfit Whiterose Pictures in collaboration with Giometti Cinema, owner of 120 screens in Italy. Distribution is valued at 50.000 Euros.

The film of the Moroccan director Abdelhaï Laraki arrives in Italy after the success in Morocco, where it was the box office champion in 2011. Moreover the film is a pioneer product in Morocco of the 4K digital postproduction technology.

The Italian award comes after numerous successes in international festivals such as Dubai, Seville, Palm Springs, Minneapolis, Vancouver, Rabat (Prix Youssef Chahine Best Arabic Film).

The film is freely adapted of the novel Morceaux de choix. Les Amours d'un Apprenti Boucher by Mohamed Nedali. "The theme of sexuality in the Moroccan society, of patriarchal authority and emancipation in today's Morocco were very closed? to me, it was a formidable opportunity to talk about my country", confessed Abdelhaï Laraki to Euromed Audiovisual. The main characters are interpreted by Omar Lotfi (Thami) and Ouidad Elma (Zineb).

When it was released in theaters, Love in the Medina generated a vivid debate in Morocco and abroad, because of its audacious love scenes. A necessary debate at the time of the Arab Spring. For the producer Caroline Locardi, questionned by Euromed Audiovisual, “the film, between realism and onirism, offer to the European public the possibility to penetrate in the heart of the Moroccan traditional society and to better understand, thorough the story of Thami, the issues and the dynamics of the Arab Spring in this region”.

(Translated from French)