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The 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) became a major stage for Moroccan director Meryam Touzani, who premiered her latest feature film, “Calle Málaga.” The event drew an enthusiastic, full-capacity audience, all eager to witness the filmmaker’s latest contribution to contemporary Moroccan and international cinema. The screening quickly proved to be one of the festival’s most anticipated moments, generating excitement among critics and cinephiles alike.
Touzani’s film unfolds in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, a crossroads of cultures whose layered history provides a rich emotional and visual backdrop. At the heart of the story is María Ángeles, a 79-year-old Spanish woman who has lived alone for decades in a cherished apartment that quietly holds the fragments of her past. Her routine existence is abruptly shaken when her daughter Clara travels from Madrid with plans to sell the apartment. This announcement forces María to face not only the possible loss of her home, but also the erosion of a lifetime’s worth of memories and the delicate ties between personal history and place.
“Calle Málaga” explores the emotional gravity of attachment—how homes become repositories of identity, nostalgia, and belonging. Through María’s journey, the film examines the unspoken bonds that connect people to the spaces they inhabit, all while reflecting the cultural hybridity that defines Tangier itself.
During the festival presentation, Touzani, joined by her husband and acclaimed filmmaker Nabil Ayouch, spoke about the film’s deeply personal nature. She highlighted her commitment to portraying intimate human relationships within the wider frame of social realities, a thematic thread that runs consistently throughout her body of work. Touzani expressed how profoundly connected she felt to María’s story, emphasizing cinema’s ability to link individual experiences with broader societal questions.
Ayouch, a central figure in modern Moroccan cinema, praised Touzani’s artistic vision, describing the film as a powerful testament to her storytelling craft. Touzani, in turn, acknowledged Ayouch’s vital role in the creation of the project. She noted that the film would not have been possible without his unwavering support, guidance, and confidence in her direction.
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Positioned as one of the standout titles of the festival, “Calle Málaga” has already garnered significant international recognition. It received the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 48th Denver Film Festival and earned the Audience Award in the Spotlight category at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, solidifying Touzani’s reputation as a filmmaker capable of capturing complex emotional and social landscapes with nuance and depth.
Overall, “Calle Málaga” emerges from the Marrakech International Film Festival not only as a celebrated work of art, but as a cinematic reflection on memory, identity, and the profound meaning of home.