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Husband and wife Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azabal) run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. In order to keep up with the commands of the demanding customers, they hire Youssef (Ayoub Missioui), who Halim takes on as an apprentice. Halim seeks to impart his experience as a maalem, a vanishing breed of Moroccan craftsman specializing in stitched embroidery on ceremonial caftans. In an early scene between the two men Halim instructs Youssef on the basic skill of cutting fabric, advising him to always give himself some leeway. “If you cut too much,” he cautions, “there’s no going back. And always leave yourself an extra centimeter. That’s your margin. The maalem’s centimeter.” Which approximates the measure of discretion that each man owes himself when dealing with hidden desires.
Maryam Touzani’s sophomore feature film The Blue Caftan (2022) premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, where it was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize. It has likewise been chosen as Morocco’s official submission for the “Best International Feature Film” category of the 95th Academy Awards (2023). The Blue Caftan’s controversial subject matter is compassionately finessed by Touzani and movingly enacted by seasoned performers Bakri (The Band’s Visit, 2007) and Azabal (Mary Magdalen, 2018) and newcomer Missioui. It’s a brave opening night choice for the 26th edition of San Francisco’s Arab Film Festival and bound to be a crowdpleaser when it raises the curtain at the Castro Theatre on Friday, November 11, 2022 with the director present to field questions. A second chance will be had to catch the film when it screens at the Roxie Theater on Saturday, November 19, 2022.