BLUE CAFTAN, THE
Special Features: 2023 Oscar® Selection, Morocco
[LE BLEU DU CAFTAN]
Moroccan writer/director Maryam Touzani (ADAM) returns with this tender tribute to tradition and the craft of love, which was shortlisted for this year's Academy Award® for Best International Feature Film. In one of Morocco's oldest medinas, in the city of Salé, Mina (Lubna Azabal) manages discerning customers while her tailor husband Halim (Saleh Bakri) works diligently in silence only a few feet away. Most days, Halim can be found carefully crafting traditional caftans with detailed embroidery, committing historical significance to each enduring stitch and preferring to take all the time necessary to achieve his age-old standards of perfection. When the demand for Halim's skill exceeds his personal capacity, he reluctantly accepts the help of Youssef (Ayoub Missioui), a handsome and soft-spoken young apprentice. The eager Youssef wants to learn everything he can from his new mentor, paying close attention to each lesson in the maalem tradition and Halim's delicate mode of instruction. It is not long, however, before the couturier's careful attentions to craft drift to meet Youssef's longing gaze — while Mina watches. (Note adapted from Toronto International Film Festival.) Winner, FIPRESCI Prize, Un Certain Regard, 2022 Cannes Film Festival; Winner, Best Director, 2022 Chicago International Film Festival. Official Selection, 2022 Toronto and London film festivals. DIR/SCR Maryam Touzani; SCR/PROD Nabil Ayouch. Morocco/France/Belgium/Denmark, 2022, color, 123 min. In Arabic with English subtitles. NOT RATED
No AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 123 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, March 19, 2023
Genre: Romance drama
