On the titular street of Maryam Touzani’s new film, Calle Málaga, lives septuagenarian Maria Angeles (iconic Spanish actress Carmen Maura) in her beloved home in Tangier’s historic Spanish Quarter. After Adam [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] and The Blue Caftan [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], Moroccan director Touzani brings us to her hometown and to where her grandmother grew up, tackling a resonant diasporic story dedicated to the idea of place, where place heavily shapes identity and where identity is shaped by the community, rather than essentialised. Written by Touzani and her partner Nabil Ayouch (Everybody Loves Touda [+lire aussi :
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Touzani’s newest effort sees Maria Angeles’ Madrid-based daughter Clara (Marta Etura) – a newly single mother after her divorce – struggling for money and intending to sell her mother’s house in Tangier, harshly against her wishes. Yet our clever protagonist refuses to leave her beloved city and move to Madrid: she sneaks back to her home and intends to buy back all of her quickly pawned-off belongings one by one, at any cost. Doing so puts her in touch with antiques dealer Abslam (Ahmed Boulane), with whom she strikes up a loving relationship after a rocky start.

Utilising a dash of light comedy, Touzani frames her film around the relationships in the community: Maria Angeles' friendly chatter with Tangier’s young people and local vendors, her struggling connection with Clara, her renewal with Abslam and her unique bond with Sister Josefa (María Alfonsa Rosso), a cloistered nun and childhood friend with whom she chats. Although the narrative is comfortingly predictable at times, the film altogether feels like a warm hug, with the director showing us the many sides of Tangier. With lensing by Virginie Surdej, Touzani casts the city in oranges and pinks, from the distinct façades to the homeliness of Maria Angeles’ flat. She also takes time to depict the blossoming relationship between Maria Angeles and Abslam, with special attention paid at one point to the beautiful sexual intimacy between the two, often hidden away on screen.

At the heart of the story are several intertwined calls to action – never imperatives, but simply points of connection that a viewer might link back to their own life and reflect upon. For instance, the relationship between Maria Angeles and Clara compels us to think deeply about generational divides, and what it means to take the wants and needs of our elders seriously, all the while understanding that someone's ties to a place may not be the same as your own. If you wonder why your parents or grandparents deign to leave their generational home, Calle Málaga will pat you on the back and gently explain why.

Calle Málaga is a production by France’s Les Films du Nouveau Monde, Morocco’s Ali n' Productions, Spain’s Mod Producciones, Germany’s One Two Films and Belgium’s Velvet Films. Its world sales are handled by Films Boutique.