Screened as part of NZIFF 2022

The Blue Caftan 2022

Le bleu du caftan

Directed by Maryam Touzani

A master tailor’s wife watches on as her closeted husband falls in love with his apprentice in this sensuous second feature from Maryam Touzani, as elegant and finely crafted as the beautiful garments in her film.

Morocco In Arabic and French with English subtitles
118 minutes DCP

Director

Producer

Nabil Ayouch

Screenplay

Maryam Touzani
,
Nabil Ayouch

Cinematography

Virginie Surdej

Editor

Nicolas Rumpl

Production designer

Emmanuel De Meulemeester
,
Rachid El Youssfi

Costume designer

Rafika Benmaimoun

Cast

Lubna Azabal (Mina)
,
Saleh Bakri (Halim)
,
Ayoub Missioui (Youssef)

Festivals

Cannes (Un Certain Regard) 2022

Awards

FIPRESCI Prize (Un Certain Regard), Cannes Film Festival 2022

Elsewhere

Set in the medina of a small Moroccan town and built around an emotional triangle between a middle-aged couple and a younger man that subverts expectations, Maryam Touzani’s (Adam, NZIFF 2019) superbly acted and deeply resonant drama is as impeccably crafted as the exquisite eponymous caftan tailored by its protagonist.

Business is hardly booming in the small garment shop run by Mina and her husband Halim. The bespoke cutting and artistic embroidery that Halim, a master tailor, specialises in requires hours of work and is therefore expensive. It is also slow and clients grow impatient. Despite former apprentices failing to meet Halim’s exacting standards, he hopes that Youssef, a new recruit, will show more dedication to this increasingly unfashionable art. Youssef’s presence initially perturbs, for Halim's true sexuality is hidden and although Mina is aware of her husband’s secret life, the attraction between Halim and Youssef upsets their long-established, supportive marital equilibrium. But, as the couple confront Mina’s ill-health, emotional dynamics deepen and all three grow to rely on each other more and more. — Sandra Reid

“Anchored by three remarkable performances and a beautiful script that never wastes a line, Maryam Touzani‘s film… oozes love from almost every frame.” — Christian Zilko, Indiewire