ROCK THE CASBAH

Morocco, 2013, 101 minutes, Colour.
Morjana Aloui, Nadine Labaki, Lubna Azabal, Hiam Abbas, Omar Sharif.
Directed by Laila Marrakshi.

We don’t often see films from Morocco, so this is a welcome opportunity for the audience to immerse itself in a country where many films are made, mainly American and biblical period films, but whose way of life, in an Islamic country, is little known.

While there are some serious things in this film, it opens with panoramic helicopter views of a Moroccan city, the coast, the beach full of people, a sunny Mediterranean country. And, in the background, Bing Crosby and Bob hope singing We’re off on the road to Morocco (which has the classic lyric, “like Webster’s dictionary, we’re Morocco-bound”).

We meet an old man walking in the spacious park grounds of his mansion, telling us about his movie-going in the past and our sometimes mistaking the movie for reality. He is played by Omar Sharif, reminding us of his more than 50 year film career, acting at the age of 81. But, as we watch him walk, goes into a room where a body is being prepared for burial. He confides to us that it is his. He will make a number of appearances during the film, a genial ghostly figure, commenting on his life and his family.

Because this is one of those films where a significant figure in the family dies, everyone gathers for the funeral rites – in the reading of the will.

One of his daughters arrives from the United States where she is a film star, portraying terrorists (and we have a glimpse of one of her films towards the end with the family watching, her grandmother taking it rather literally). Her husband is a director of horror films and she brings her little son to Morocco. She has left the Moroccan way of life behind as well as her family and, though sometimes lonely, she is an American. She has three sisters, though one of them has died long since. Another is a teacher, devout, patriotic, a touch hard, with a supportive husband and a son who has a camp manner and wants to sing in Broadway musicals. The other sister is bored with life, lazy, and indulging herself in corrective surgery for her vanity.

Interesting is the widow, full of grief and tension, snapping at the servant who has been with the family for 30 years. She is played by the Palestinian actress, Hiam Abbas.

The film is divided into three days: the living, the burial, the separation.

Which gives us plenty of time to get to know the characters, their strengths and weaknesses, the interaction of the sisters, the importance of their mother, the importance of the maid and her son who was involved with the daughter who died. There is also the dead man’s brother, unmarried, rather eager to get his hand on his brother’s will as the male heir with priority in Moroccan law before women, even the deceased’s wife and daughters.

But, as we might guess, these reunions are far from happy and we become aware of secrets and lies, secrets gradually being revealed, some devastating consequences for lives.

The film has a strong feminine sensibility, the writer-director, Laila Marrakshi, who was written the female characters with insight and some sympathy.

Looking at this affluent Moroccan family, with action mainly within the house, though there are some sequences in clubs and streets outside the house, we realise that Morocco offers a rather more open society (even if still fairly patriarchal), behaviour, dress for women, prayers and rituals than in, say, the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Always interesting, always humane.

1. A Moroccan film, Morocco in the 21st century, an affluent family, secrets and lies, death and the gathering of the family, clashes, love, the will and the consequences?

2. The film immersing the audience in Morocco, the scenery, the city, the beaches, the mansions, the bars, the contrast with the streets? Issues of class? Issues of religion and observance? Islamic tradition? The musical score, the range of songs?

3. The introduction, the jaunty credits, the beauty of the city, the people on the beach, listening to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope on the road to Morocco? The arrival of the plane, Sofia and her return with her son? Coming home, the passport control, impatience, the acknowledgement of the importance of her father and her being met and let through, the chauffeur driving? Setting a tone? The initial perspective from Sofia’s point of view?

4. Omar Sharif as Hassan, the status of the actor and his screen presence for more than 50 years, at age 80? His talking to the audience, talking about going to the movies, reminiscing, the theme of movies and reality, confiding in the audience? The camera tracking to the dead body, his explaining that this was he? Dead, his being washed, his brother and the touches of resentment, the doctor? Hassan observing everything? A presence throughout the rest of the film, talk about him, the photo, memories, love and hate? His appearances, the encounters with Noah, sitting by the grave and talking about himself, the isolation of death? The revelations about him? Omar Sharif being such a pleasant presence, audience judgement on him affected by his genial comments?

5. The family, the various identities, the mother and her grief, the three daughters, their husbands, the children? Hassan’s brother? The chauffeur? Yacout and Zakaria? Introduction, getting to know the characters, sympathies with them, growing sympathies, changing sympathies?

6. The structure of the three days: the living, the burial, the separation? The rituals? In the Islamic tradition? Mourning, mourning clothes, sitting in grief, the prayers? And the reading of the will?

7. Secrets and lies, with each of the characters, the emotions and puzzles, the gradual revelations, anger, sadness, peace?

8. The mother, her dignity and bearing, address, the preparations for the funeral, her being critical? Yacout and the massage, irritation, telling Yacout that she must go? The upset? The relationship between the two, the years, Yacout, her infidelity, the mother knowing the truth? The mother and daughters, the response to each of them, the daughter who committed suicide, Sofia returning from America and her way of life, Kenza and her being a teacher, proper, patriotic, religious? Miriam and her self-indulgence, laziness? The ceremony, the mother unable to sleep, coming to the room with her daughters? The ceremonial meal? The will, and in knowing the truth all the time? Reconciling with Yacout?

9. Hassan as a self-made man, in Moroccan society, in the business world, the scene with all the cars in his garage, his wealth, yet not supervising it well? The past, his strict supervision of the girls, their dates on coming home? The relationship with Leyla, her son? Sofia finding the photo? Leyla and her pregnancy, the abortion, and suicide? The will, the bequest to Zakaria as his son, the brother and his expectations and discussions with the women?

10. Sofia, her son, leaving Morocco, in the movies, portraying a terrorist – and all watching the DVD later, with her grandmother taking it a touch realistically? The separation from her husband, his being a horror film director and famous? The son and care for him? Different languages spoken? With her sisters, learning more about them, the reaction to being in America, Kenza’s anger, the discussions with Miriam, drinking the beer? Zakaria coming to the house, going out with him, his liaison with the mother of his child in the bathroom? The effect of Leyla’s death, committed to life in America, but alone, lonely, the will, her son and his wanting to be with his father? Jason returning at the end, the reconciliation?

11. Kenza, faithful, a teacher, concern about her glasses? Relationship with her husband? Her son, touch of camp, the ring, his wanting to be a Broadway singer, singing to Sofia? Kenza upset, smoking, drinking the beer? Declarations about religion and patriotism, anti-US? The severe outburst about Zakaria and Leyla? Coming to peace? Her husband and support, but in the background?

12. Miriam, her age, disdain for her husband? Beauty, attraction to the surgeon, the extensive surgery and its effects? Her daughters, offhand, bored, drinking, our attitudes, the discussion with Sofia?

13. Leyla, young, to be an actress, the relationship with Zakaria? The revelation that she was pregnant, being sent away for the abortion, despair and killing herself?

14. Zakaria, his mother, coming to the house, showing Sofia all the cars, not knowing the truth that Hassan was his father, the revolution, his attack on his mother? His studying to be a doctor, dropping out, relationship with Leyla, drugs, the DVD, the shop and piracy, going out with Sofia, the mother of his child and the sexual encounter? Going back to the house, the reading of the will, the truth and the effect on him?

15. The drama of the reading of the will, secrets and lies, the revelations, the brother and his expectations, the reaction of the daughters? Zakaria and the house, his inheritance?

16. The final scenes together, people at peace, looking out the window and Jason and his return?
17. Portrait of a family, portrait of an Islamic family in contemporary Morocco, the contrast with lifestyles in Morocco and countries like Iran, the status of
women and the discussions about women’s issues, women and their appearances, clothes, traditional and modern? The audience immersed in the life of Morocco – at least in this limited but focused situation?