Film - THE BLUE CAFTAN

Off the Wall Films presents

THE BLUE CAFTAN

Maryam Touzani, Morocco / France, 2022, 122m, 12A, sub-titles, F-rated

NB - Doors at 5:30pm for a 6:30pm start. The programme will end around 9:00pm. Pre-screening supper, available to pre-order only, served in the Waterside 5:30 - 6:15pm. To order supper simply buy a meal ticket as listed above (nb - supper bookings will close at 12:00 midnight on the Saturday before the screening).

In the medina of Salé, Morocco, master tailor Halim and his wife Mina run a caftan shop. Business is good and when Halim is commissioned to fashion a magnificent gold-embroidered royal blue silk caftan they take on a talented apprentice, Youssef. Halim and Mina are very close and their relationship is loving and respectful, but Mina suspects that her husband and Youssef are attracted to each other. When she becomes seriously ill the magnetism between the two men grows stronger. Things seem set for a dramatic denouement, but something far more surprising and nuanced emerges.

Former documentarian Maryam Touzani’s second feature, which won the 2022 FIPRESCI prize (critics’ award) at Cannes in 2022, conveys colours as shimmering and textures as shifting as the titular garment, and is as deftly woven. Script, performances, photography and direction are all outstanding, combining to create a deeply moving narrative and a celebration of true love. The film was the first Moroccan feature to be nominated, in 2023, for the Best International Feature Award at the Oscars.

“A work of handcrafted beauty.” – The Hollywood Reporter.

“A mesmerizing, engrossing and profoundly human love story.” – NYC Movie Guru.

“The film, only the second feature that Maryam Touzani has directed, is a stunning portrayal of marital sacrifice and devotion.” – The Times.

“A hugely compassionate and emotionally satisfying movie.” – The Guardian.

“The Blue Caftan, like its title garment, has a handmade, lived-in quality, an authenticity that marks Touzani — a former journalist making her second feature — a director to watch.” – The San Francisco Chronicle.

“It’s the equivalent of a cinematic poem, filled with ache, insight and exhilaration.” – San José Mercury News.

“The acting was superb, and the story wonderfully poignant. Patient and carefully crafted, it's about the complexities of love and craft. One of the best films of 2022.” – Film Inquiry.

“…an overwhelmingly tender, dignified drama. It offers a powerful vision of love and bravery, suggesting that the two are inseparable.” – Sight & Sound.

“… compelling storytelling by any standard, its supple rhythms hypnotic, its atmosphere potent and its prevailing hushed tone and intimate camerawork affording us the closest possible access to three characters who in turn are constantly studying one another. The actors playing those three points of a complicated triangle could not be better.” – The Hollywood Reporter.

“A stunning drama about the depths and limits of love...“ – Washington City Paper.

Voluntary donations - Off the Wall Films is a not-for-profit enterprise. All donations - very gratefully received - will go towards improving the OtWF programme and the presentation of films at WSC.

Carers' tickets - we offer complimentary tickets to carers of people with disabilities. If you would like to attend the screening along with the person in your care please message  [email protected]  with your request for a ticket. Please note - you are eligible for this offer only if you are accompanied by a paying person with disabilities.