FIFM: Mixed opinions surround bold Moroccan sci-fi film ‘Animalia’ 

The international film festival of Marrakech (FIFM) screened feature film’ “Animalia” by Sophia Alaoui, a sci-fi tale of Itto, a Moroccan girl of modest amazigh origin facing an extraterrestrial emergency.

The film, co-produced by French and Moroccan creatives, was met with mixed reactions after its FIFM screening, with many applauding the bold attempt of making such a movie in a new genre that Moroccan cinema is unfamiliar with, and others not being able to identify with the characters.

The story followed Itto, married into a rich family and with child, as she drowns in solitude locked away from her husband and his family.

As the story progressed, the character started witnessing chilling supernatural events, announcing the beginning of her new journey.

While she tries to find answers, accompanied by an Amazigh man she meets, Itto has seizure-like episodes in which the thin line between what’s real and what’s not becomes hazy.

The pregnant character starts noticing rabid animals’ growing attention to her belly, a phenomenon that made her very uneasy at first, but she grew used to it by the end of the film.

At the end of the screening, many seemed confused and others seemed pleased, as the tale delves into a supernatural realm and shows how Itto and others surrounding her kept their faith through the hardship. 

« Animalia » touches on various subjects, social classes disparities, faith, bribery, motherhood and acceptance.

While some of the actors seemed rather inexperienced, most of the dialogue was in the Amazigh dialect, representing the several Moroccan Amazigh people with very little representation in cinema. 

Outside of Morocco, the film was very well received and highly praised, raising questions about how different audiences react to different stories. 

The film featured famous actress Souad Khouyi as Itto’s mother in law. Prior to the screening, she said that it was very difficult to tackle such a genre with very little knowledge of it as Moroccan artists, emphasizing that the whole cast had their worries.