The Blue Caftan, one of the year’s most acclaimed Arab films, has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, it was just announced. Directed by Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani and starring Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri as well as Lubna Azabal and Ayoub Messioui, the film was a hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
This is a huge achievement for Arab and Moroccan film in particular. This is only the second time in history that a Moroccan film has been shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category, and the first time for a woman director.
The last Moroccan film to be shortlisted, 2011’s Omar Killed Me directed by Roschdy Zem, was not ultimately nominated.
the film touches on taboo themes. Set in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas, it follows a husband and wife Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azabal) who run a traditional caftan store in desperate need of help. The two hire a talented young man named Youssef — and quickly find that his presence is having a profound effect on their lives.
Touzani is the collaborator and wife of ‘Casablanca Beats’ filmmaker Nabil Ayouch, and previously brought her acclaimed film ‘Adam’, about a bakery in Casablanca that takes in an unexpected guest in 2019.
Other films that were submitted from the region, such as Saudi filmmaker Mohamed Al Salman’s film Raven Song, were not selected.
One other Arab filmmaker was shortlisted, Egyptian-Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh, submitted from Sweden, for his film Cairo Conspiracy, originally entitled Boy from Heaven when it debuted at Cannes earlier this year.
Another Middle Eastern film, Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider, was also shortlisted, after also debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Here’s the full list of selections:
Argentina, Argentina, 1985
Austria, Corsage
Belgium, Close
Cambodia, Return to Seoul
Denmark, Holy Spider
France, Saint Omer
Germany, All Quiet on the Western Front
India, Last Film Show
Ireland, The Quiet Girl
Mexico, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Morocco, The Blue Caftan
Pakistan, Joyland
Poland, EO
South Korea, Decision to Leave
Sweden, Cairo Conspiracy
According to the Academy, “5 films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 95th Academy Awards. Films from 92 countries and regions were eligible in the category. Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category,” said the announcement.
“In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.”