European Film Weeks in Morocco celebrate 30th edition, confirm strong cultural links between Kingdom and EU

The European Union Delegation in Morocco is organizing, from January 14 to March 1 the 30th edition of the European Film Weeks, featuring a diverse range of screenings in the cities of Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Tangier.

“The European Film Weeks are entering their prime. On the occasion of its thirtieth meeting with the Moroccan public, this first-rate cultural event, fully aligned with the framework of cultural cooperation between the European Union and Morocco, proposes the discovery of 8 European films from 11 countries of the European Union, recent and awarded in the biggest world festivals, as well as a selection of short films, also awarded, by filmmakers of the South of the Mediterranean,” indicates a press release from the Delegation.

The films on offer highlight the richness of European culture in all its diversity, proving that complementary cultures fuel creativity. They provide an opportunity to bring together actors from different countries in a single work, and three of the films are the result of a European co-production involving up to five countries, the press release states.

The short films, which have also won awards in Europe and Africa, will give directors and actors from the southern Mediterranean an opportunity to present, with humor and accuracy, a dynamic vision of the societies in which they live while remaining true to traditional values.

Justine Triet’s film “Anatomie d’une chute” (Anatomy of a Fall) will open this year’s festival in various towns. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay.

European Union’s ambassador to Morocco, Patricia Llombart Cussac said the 30th edition of the European Film Weeks in Morocco confirms the strength of the cultural links between the Kingdom and the European Union.

“It is with great enthusiasm that I invite you to take part in the European Film Weeks, which are celebrating their 30th edition this year. This longevity bears witness to the depth and durability of the links between our cultures,” emphasized Llombart Cussac, quoted in a press release from the European Union Delegation to Morocco.

“The interest shown by Moroccan audiences in European cinema over all these years is a reflection of our shared values. Over the centuries, cultural exchanges between our communities have helped us to get to know each other better and, as a result, to understand each other better,” she noted.

She expressed her wish to see this approach become a reality with Morocco, through more joint productions with the vitality and quality of its audiovisual production, adding that the organization of this event “bears witness to our common approach around shared messages such as solidarity and welcome.”

The European Film Weeks in Morocco illustrate European and Moroccan, and more broadly Mediterranean, excellence in the arts and culture, and remain a unique opportunity to foster and strengthen intercultural dialogue through screenings in different cities, meetings between Moroccan and European filmmakers, and workshops for young people to discover the cinema profession, according to the organizers.

Attracting almost 12,000 spectators each year, this cultural event has been organized since 1991 by the European Union in Morocco in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre, the Hiba Foundation, and the School of Visual Arts (L’École supérieure des arts visuels) in Marrakech, the press release concludes.