Two film festivals in Casablanca: the contrast between arts and crowds

    At the heart of Casablanca, the city that fuses the Atlantic waves with the fragrances of history, I have found myself between two completely different worlds, embodied in two contradicting and clashing cinema festivals, spirit and content wise. The first being the International Festival of Independent Cinema, which dealt with cinema as an artistic tool that seeks honest communication and interaction with the audience. The second is the Arab Film Festival which appeared to be a fair for spotlight and grandeur, at which place authentic art remains submerged under superficiality.

The International Festival of Independent Cinema:

Where the reels of art and independence meet to collage inspirational movies within the depths of cinema.

The moment I set foot on the festival, I felt part of a real human experience. It is here that Cinema was presented as a lively art form, reigning as an instrument for self-exploration and perception of the other, not a means for shallow entertainment. It welcomed a diverse array of attendees, allowing for inspirational conversations full of vitality, which reminded me of a quote by the German Philosopher Martin Heidegger where he says “The essence of art would be this: the truth of beings setting itself to work.” It is in this festival that films unveil truths, revealing hidden aspects of the human psyche, and inviting the watcher for deep and reflective contemplations. The talented directors and producers added significant value to this festival as they roamed amongst the crowd, speaking with full transparency and honesty. By thoroughly answering the questions and actively listening to the criticism, they were promoting open conversation between the creator and the recipient. This festival was a major and strong reminder of Cinema’s status as a bridge between a Human being and the World, a mechanism to bring to light the hidden and mysterious facets of existence. The movies displayed in the festival embraced subjectivity and sought the portrayal of personal experience that mirrors the feelings and thoughts of its creators; as said by the Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard “Truth is wholly subjective and personal.“

In a conversation with the gifted Portuguese director David Bonneville about his film “The Last Bath” we plumbed the depths and details of the excellent realism techniques incorporated in his movie, and how it added an emotional and realistic sense to the deep and intense story. On the other hand, the Moroccan filmmaker Hakim Belabbes in a deep and philosophical conversation expressed to us his poetic vision of cinema, displaying the manners in which cinematic art incorporates reality and fiction in a historical and poetic way.

The influence of the preceding cinematic generation on the new generation was discussed in a humane and philosophical conversation with the Moroccan film Director Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, as he spoke of the cinematic heritage with language full of profundity and sagacity, diving into the essence of art and its temporal dimension, he stressed the previous cinematic generation’s significant impact and that it does not go unnoticed but left its fingerprints and roots embedded in Cinema’s soils nurturing the spring sprouts of creativity, and paving the way for the new generation’s growth and flourish. Lakhmari later clarified that the cinema pioneers’ experiences are shared transgenerationally not only through artistic techniques but also through intellectual and spiritual essence, penetrating the fabric of time. He also underlined how the heritage of cinema is more than mere past souvenirs to reminisce about, but a breathing being that grows and constantly moves, extending to form the present and to influence the future. In his vision, the art of cinema is an eternal conversation between generations, tangling the old and the new in a continuous dance, creating an incessant interaction between what was and what will be, it is this exchange that fuels cinema’s power and continuity. Wedding personal creativity and collective wisdom, spouting a new vision and stemming the roots of human experience.

Arab Film Festival:

Between flashiness and superficiality.

On the contrary, the Arab Film Festival in Casablanca seemed like a grand spectacle, full of lights and stars with an empty core. Instead of portraying the

essence of cinema as it is an element that stimulates the hearts and minds, the goal for this festival was to gather attention, and appear meretricious. Red carpets, flash scenes, and ornamented speeches by stars, all lead to the simple truth:

That there was no cinema in this festival. The event used this beautiful form of art as a channel for fame and stardom. The festival had no space for conversations or extensive discussions. The interactions between the directors and attendees were abbreviated and shallow, lacking transparency and integrity. It can't be emphasized enough that this event was dedicated to the idea that the audience is merely a background for the shining of the stars and not a partner to a genuine artistic experience.As I dive into Casablanca’s sea of film festivals, the contradictions between authentic real art and the crowd’s stagnation manifest. Here, in this city, where the Atlantic waves meet the fragrances of history, the play of life takes shape in its finest forms and deepest meanings. In the International Festival of Independent Cinema, art flows like a touching breeze, gently moving the hearts and expressing the human truth. Here! films are more than shallow entertainment, but an intellectual journey to the depths of the self and the formation of human experience. Open exchanges between artists and the audience were full of honesty beyond time and space, resulting in nutritious discussions that fuel a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. While we contemplate the heart and soul of art and existence, we find ourselves in front of the flashiness and superficiality mirrored by the Arab Film Festival. The arts fade away and grandeur and pretence appear. Attention was central to red carpets and stars.

As we leave behind this cinematic beauty, we must reflect on the role of art and its meaning in our lives. Cinema is more than moving pictures, it is the open window that overlooks the human world and draws expressive paintings of multiple truths of life.

The conclusion of these experiences

In the words of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “art is the proper task of life” implying that the essence of art lies in its ability to elicit and embody life, representing everything it contains of emotion and human experience. Within this notion, the International Festival of Independent Cinema functions as an artistic stage that reflects life’s subjectivity and honest experiences. Art here takes off expressing human existence clearly and honestly, influencing the masses with the way it mirrors the diversity, perplexity, and depths of life’s core. Conversely, the Arab Film Festival appears to be an artistic platform that entices criticism and understanding. Despite its external glamour and apparent manifestations of stardom and extravagance, it stands before us as a reminder of the significance of integrity, both within ourselves and the art we create for the world.

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