THE MARRAKECH INTERNATIONAL In a few words FILM Cinema lessons FESTIVAL The transfer of knowledge is JOURNAL achieved through words that N°06 flow in the Festival during the debates, after a screening, and -of December 7, 2016 course- during the cinema lessons. Each year, the Festival schedules masterclasses offering the public a chance to understand the essence of cinema, its ambitions, intricacies and rules. Most of all, it's a chance for cinema lovers to discover and really understand an author’s creative process. Art works are like fruits on a tree. Cinema lessons aim at offering an understanding of cinema from within by helping the audience climb that tree and explore the earth that nurtures it. This year, students, professionals, journalists and movie lovers have the opportunity to attend masterclasses and interact with leading figures in the world of cinema such as Paul Haggis, renowned Hollywood screenwriter and director, Pavel Lounguine, Russian filmmaker whose films cast light on the evolution of his country and Paul Verhoeven, controversial but oh-so talented director. During the classes, a journalist shows excerpts from the Zoom Today's Guest A conversation with... Best moments director's works to illustrate his SCREENWRITING RUSSIAN CINEMA SARIM FASSI FIHRI: "Promoting WHAT TO WATCH ON point. All of this to share a common PAGE 02 PAGE 02 Morocco's image" WEDNESDAY passion for cinema. PAGE 03 PAGE 04 Rejoignez-nous sur PAGE 01 Today's guest Zoom Screenwriting Russian cinema The Marrakech Festival is also about initiatives to promote Celebrating a bold and cinema in Morocco through developing screenwriting. To that end, a workshop is a great avant-garde organized every year. The workshop is organized as part of a partnership forged in cinema 2015 between the Moroccan th cinematographic center The 16 Marrakech International Film Festival (known by its French acronym pays a tribute to Russian cinema through a CCM) and the Festival’s selection of its masterpieces presented by a Alexandre Sokourov's Russian Ark Foundation. It enables delegation of Russian artists led by eminent Moroccan filmmakers- the In Russia, cinema has a time-honoured up of companies such as Mosfilm that stage. But everything changed in 1958, majority of whom are director, screenwriter and producer Karen history that began in 1896 with the produced Eisenstein’s masterpiece, when The Cranes Are Flying by Mikhail beneficiaries of the CCM film Chakhnazarov, CEO of Mosfilm Studio. screening by the Lumière team of a Battleship Potemkin in 1925, a film that Kalatozov was awarded the Palme d’Or at subsidies - to enhance their French film in Saint Petersburg. After will later become the best ambassador of Cannes. Since then, Russian auteur films screenplays through exchange Russian cinema is no stranger to the another Tverdovsky's film, Zoology is 1908, the year Alexander Drankov made the Soviet film. And in 1919, the world’s draw rave reviews at foreign festivals, and and experience sharing Marrakech Festival. Two Russian films competing for the Etoile d'or. The Festival Russia’s first film,Stenka Razin, Russian first film school, the Gerasimov Institute two decades later, his countryman Andrei with foreign directors and have already been awarded the Festival’s also programmed the screening in the cinema embarks on a prolific journey of Cinematography (aka VGIK), opens its Konchalovsky is awarded the Grand Prix at professionals. Grand Prix: Mikhail Kalatozichvili’s out-of-competition category of The Duelist reaching a heyday during WWI. The ban doors in Moscow. Cannes for his epic filmSiberiade . For its by Alexie Mizguirev, a recipient of 2007 This year, a screenwriting Wild Field (2008) and Ivan Tverdovsky’s on foreign films in Russia pushes local For a long time, Russian cinema was part, the Marrakech Festival paid a career jury’s prize. workshop brought together Corrections Class (2014). This year, film production to spawn with the setting seldom distributed at the international tribute to him in 2008. 13 Moroccan directors at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, So they said from May 30 to June 4, 2016. The workshop was joined by a recipient of a CCM’s aid to “Although Morocco and Russia are continents co-author the screenplay of a feature film as well as another apart, each with their own distinct cultures candidate whose feature film project drew the attention and traditions, we understand each other of the production subsidy committee at its first session marvellously thanks to the cinematographic in April 2016. The 2016 workshop was language.” moderated by Jean Luc Ormières. KAREN CHAKHNAZAROV, DIRECTOR, SCREENWRITER AND PRODUCER, CEO OF MOSFILM STUDIO. PAGE 02 The jury's eye A conversation with... KNIFE IN THE CLEAR WATER Sarim Fassi Fihri by Wang Xuebo with Yang Shengcang, Zhou Jinhua, Yang Fan and Yang Xue- China- 1h33 In the far mountains of Ningxia province, the “Promoting old Ma Zishan mourns his recently-deceased wife loved by everyone Morocco’s image” in the village and in the family. For her 40-day Delegate Vice-President of the Marrakech disappearance ceremony, Festival, Sarim Fassi Fihri highlights the choices their son wants to sacrifice behind the current edition and responds to critics. their only bull. If his father Zishan is not against it, The interview: his sorrow and his love for the old animal make him wonder. And even his prayers or the Imam do not seem to be able to erase his doubts. Until one morning when the old bull, as if foreseeing its What are the criteria governing tthis selection? Some say that they The Festival is often criticized for being too French. What do you say impending death, all of a sudden stops eating and drinking. were slightly off this year. about this? The Marrakech Festival is about auteur cinema. The 36 participating Working together with French partners is a strategic choice given the MISTER UNIVERSO filmmakers represent the finest and the most ambitious works that exist geographic, cultural and linguistic affinities. However, 90% of the 1200 by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel with Tairo Caroli- Austria and Italy- 1h30 today. At a time when the quest for fame can lead us astray, the Festival collaborators working in the Festival are Moroccans. The artistic side, Tairo, a young lion-tamer, is shows boldness, championing genuine cinema and celebrating talents notably the program and cinematography are conducted by joint Moroccan- unhappy with his life. Losing his that honour humanity. In Marrakech, we screen 88 films to prove this. French teams who are well versed in the field, with a real international lucky charm gives him a reason to In 2016, no other festival in a developing country has managed to bring experience. set off for a journey across Itally in together world cinema as we have been doing in Marrakech. search of Arthur Robin, a former In this respect, we have a French director and another French artistic Mister Universe, who gave him the How do you explain the absence of Moroccan films this year? director. But this does not mean that Marrakech is a French festival. Let’s charm a long time ago. This absence can be explained by the high quality of the selection. take, for instance, Venice Film Festival which was run from 2004 to 2011 by Previously, there had already been editions when Moroccan film were not Marco Muller who is Italian, Swiss, Greek and Brazilian! Today, cooperation part of the official selection. I think that Moroccan cinema would not be with our French partners is taking place in good conditions underpinned by honoured by some kind of “positive discrimination.” respect, understanding and sharing in a way that is conducive to promoting Living the festival Morocco’s influence. The Marrakech Festival is unique in the sense that it offers an environment of freedom to filmmakers from across the globe. It also What role does the Foundation play in holding the event? offers a venue for them to express their worldviews through their works. We maintain close contact as part of an organization committee chaired by “The Festival is making its place at the It is an international event, open to the world, and it is spreading the HRH Prince Moulay Rachid and comprising the delegate vice-presidents, the international level. But as a values of sharing and diversity. Morocco, the host of this international secretary general of the Foundation and the general treasurer in addition professional, I wish we could boost the festival is nonetheless represented by Mimosas in the From The Heart to the director and the artistic director of the festival. This committee category. puts forward the decisions to be approved by the President. Exchange, interactivity of the masterclasses” understanding and sharing remain our motto. JAOUAD, CINEMA PROFESSIONAL. PAGE 03 One art, different talents Cinema Unusual techniques Alexis Delage Toriel, International Press Manager Hanane El Fadili’s Audio description, tribute to bringing cinema Showcasing the Festival Abderraouf to the blind The Palais des Congrès at the international level was overwhelmed with The Marrakech Festival has It is hard to get a quiet interview with the Festival. emotions yesterday on the been screening audio-described Alexis Delage Toriel, the international “We try to diversify in terms of daily and occasion of the career tribute films since 2008, offering the press manager of the Festival. She weekly papers in addition to magazines paid to veteran comedian, blind and the visually impaired is constantly interrupted. A polyglot specializing in cinema and culture as well Abderrahim Tounsi, known an opportunity to experience mastering four languages, Toriel as TV channels” she says, adding that by his character name of cinema. The idea was born to leads a team of nine people in charge the goal is to make sure the media brings team struggled to convince international Abderraouf.