Cannes 2019: Maryam Touzani's "Adam" (Morocco)

Cannes 2019: Maryam Touzani's Adam (Morocco)

Adam, the first feature film by Moroccan director, Maryam Touzani, in competition in the category "Un certain regard" at the 72nd Festival de Cannes, competing for the "Caméra d'or".

Excerpts from an interview with Maryam Touzani by Kaoutar Laili. HuffPost Maroc. Translation from French. Images: Festival de Cannes.

Adam is the story of a somewhat fortuitous encounter between two women in the medina of Casablanca. The kind of unexpected encounter, as destiny knows so well and that can change the course of a life. Samia is a single, pregnant mother who comes from the countryside to give her child up for adoption. She is welcomed in the home of a young widow, Abla, struggling to make ends meet with her 8-year-old daughter, having lost the taste of life since the death of her husband. Together, the two women make a genuine inner journey of rebuilding, by moving towards each other.

 ...I wanted to share a vision of society through these characters. Adam is an intimist film, centered on the inner experiences of two women. Here the action is not very important, the main focus is the inner journey of the two women and  little girl. My only desire was to tell this film as sincerely as possible and be able to communicate my vision.

[The title of the film] Adam, like the first man, the man who must also sometimes ask questions and return to the origin. For me, it is also a way to recall who ultimately carries life: the woman. Every new life, whether male or female, is carried by a woman. It is thus a reflection that examines the place of the man and that of the woman in our society. It is essential to ask oneself these questions and there are many ways to ask them.