Aïcha: Symbolism, memory and place in Moroccan feminist cinema

Jamal Soussi writes, Aïcha by Sanaa El Alaoui is a short film in terms of duration, but remarkably ambitious in its scope. The film adopts silence as its language, not to conceal, but to reveal. It doesn't recount events: it delves into, unearths, and stirs the layers of memory, ritual, and physical pain. The camera becomes an empathetic instrument, reconfiguring grief and questioning how trauma alters time, identity, and self-perception.

Aicha” Wins Best Short of February 2026 at IndieX Film Fest

Aicha, written and directed by Moroccan filmmaker Sanaa El Alaoui, and produced by Piotr Kaczorowski, has been named Best Short of the Season – February 2026. Running 25 minutes, the film delivers a fully realized cinematic experience that feels expansive rather than brief, where every image, sound, and silence carries intention. From its opening moments, Aicha establishes a quiet emotional gravity, drawing viewers into an intimate world shaped by loss, memory, and spiritual reckoning.