Marrakesh cinema festival hailed as response to terrorism
Morocco, Culture, 10/1/2001

The Marrakesh International Cinema festival held September 28 through October 2 is hailed by many participants and by the international media as a response to terrorism, a symbol of peace, coexistence of various cultures and tolerance.

Several participants underlined Friday at the opening of the festival the salvation role the motion pictures can play in fostering understanding between peoples and cultures and Moroccan minister of Culture and Communication, Mohamed Achaari, expressed hope that the cinema art contributes to counter fanaticism and intolerance.

French weekly L'Express deemed in its latest release that Morocco's decision not to cancel the festival despite the terror attacks in the United States was actually a means to denounce terrorism.

Chairwoman of the jury, British actress Charlotte Rampling said her desire to be in Morocco grew stronger after the attacks. She stressed the need to maintain ties and especially to oppose the amalgam "Muslim equals terrorist."

"My coming to Morocco is for me a way to express my esteem and consideration to a country of overture and tolerance," a country having a role to play in inter-culture dialogue, Charlotte Rampling told reporters here Sunday.

The event that shook the United States on September 11 nurtured fear and apprehension, she said pointing out that motion pictures must adjust their message to counter the upsurge of violence.

Echoing Charlotte Rampling, Egyptian director Youssef Chahine said the Marrakesh festival is an unexpected opportunity to further promote tolerance, dialogue and understanding between various cultures.

Chahine denounced violence under all its forms.

French weekly Le Journal de Dimanche on its part wrote that the latest events (terror attacks) have strengthened the political and cultural importance of the Marrakesh festival.

The weekly quoted French director Claude Lelouche as saying that dream will prevail over nightmare. Claude Lelouche, who is attending the festival presented in exclusivity the first images of his latest movie "And now Ladies and gentlemen," partly shot in Morocco.

Scores of world actors and actresses are taking part in the festival, but three Americans, member of the Jury, cancelled their trip to Morocco following the terror attacks.

Charlotte Rampling told reporters the absence of John Malkovitch, Rosanna Arquette and Matt Dillon is due to the bereavement of the American people.

For advisor to the king, Andre Azoulay, the festival is part of Morocco's strategy to promote film industry.

In an interview with the magazine "Medina" (sept./oct. 2001 issue), Azoulay said the festival was a Moroccan idea, a Moroccan project and that Morocco ambitions to create an event meeting the same requirements and rigor as outstanding world festivals like those of Cannes, Venice or Berlin.

He underlined the renaissance of the cinema industry in Morocco saying that the turnover of this industry went up from barely $ 25 million dollars to more than $ 200 million over the past ten years.

The festival includes a competition of feature films from Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, France, Morocco, Spain, Taiwan and the United States as well as a competition of short films. A whole day will be devoted to Morocco with the screening of movies, with focus on woman in the Moroccan cinema, exhibitions, debates and testimonies.

Azoulay, who said he was convinced the festival, would be a total success said this adventure that has just begun will ripen and thrive over time.

Previous Stories:
  Marrakesh international movie festival opens   (9/29/2001)
  Morocco's cultural week in Damascus winds up   (9/29/2001)
  Morocco's human rights advisory council rejects international human rights federation's letter to king Mohammed   (9/21/2001)

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