One of the most powerful films from the 76th Festival de Cannes uses cute miniatures, tiny figurines, and fabric scraps to investigate a painful past, which elderly family members preferred to bury in personal memories. Moroccan debutant filmmaker Asmae El Moudir mixes documentary, intimate conversations, re-enactments with real survivors of the 1981 riots, a tiny bit of fiction, and an amusing mini recreation of childhood Casablanca full of still hidden secrets.

Asmae’s father Mohamed agrees to help move colourful clay dolls and change settings in the replica of the family home. The director believes that by playfully engaging her parents and especially her stubborn manipulative grandmother Zahra (who refuses to accept that Asmae is a filmmaker) they will reach an emotional peak to whisper the truths behind myths and invented tales. Asmae seeks to learn who is in the only remaining picture from her childhood. It is her, she’s been told on several occasions, though Asmae was always doubtful.

Best Directing award of Un Certain Regard and Best Documentary of Cannes followed by a grand victory in Sydney is more than a perfect start for an enchanting, bold, honest, captivating, relevant, tragicomically shocking, and extremely timely handmade film.

Edvinas Pukšta