Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Xenophobia in FIFM against Moroccan journalists



Beaten hard by French security guards at FIFM, Moroccan journalists, under the severe cold climate of the outside, protest with disgust about xenophobia in their own country. Neither Moroccan journalists nor artists are wanted to be seen in Marrakech; states an independent news maker; for Moroccan journalists to cover up daily news of this event called International film festival in Marrakech and for Moroccan artists just to show off and be proud  like their international colleagues.

Being cinema-goer, I joyfully phone friends since Rabat just to see if things get better knowing that i have received the 2012 Marrakech accreditation but without permission to neither stay in FIFM hotels nor eat comfortable food like my fellow mates. Things I still can not believe about the policy of the foundation, although I am myself a film maker and also cinema blogger; having three professional cards one is confirmed by Nour-eddine sail, the second by Mustapha Khalfi and the third one by Faisal laraichi. 

From this context, sometimes we have that feeling we are watching an expensive carnival as Hassan benchalikha states. Too may critics have different views about the benefits and fruits that might gain Moroccan cinema to embrace Marrakech each year for its organization of this genre "A'  Festival especially expensive stars of seventh art from different countries come to our red city  where they find luxury bungalows and luxury hotels .Some ask where  money goes without return of tangible national cinema, while others think that the Film Festival of Marrakech open  opportunities to tourists in order to  invest in Morocco.
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It is obvious that this festival allows cinema-goers to meet international producers, actors and film makers especially we have succeeded to seduce Bollyood to shoot its movies in Morocco (see my article on Morocco Bound To Hindi Cinema) .Now, we are happy that Moroccan cinema is strongly participating with two remarkable directors, the first one is Nabil Ayouch " Ya Khill Allah" and the second is Nour-eddine Lakhmari 'Zero". We really hope that FIFM promotes Moroccan cinema and that "film activity is real and not propaganda," that "the advancement of the CCM project should be the purpose and means to accomplish common productions, and build closer cooperation with other festivals, and exchange views at the global level.

Written by Allal El Alaoui