The lock-down was a creative time for several Mediterranean directors. In Morocco, the creative studio JAWJAB, in partnership with International Media Support, wanted to encourage film-makers to express themselves about this period.
JAWJAB deputy general manager Younes Lazrak said the project’s aim was to record artists’ visions of the lock-down through their images. He added that “Since its creation, JAWJAB’s credo has been to question the society we live in. This makes even more sense during the particular parenthesis we are experiencing, because it is for us to recreate the social bond, to reconnect people, to arouse emotions and questions.”
Hicham Lasri, Raja Saddiki, Hassan Ouazzani, Mohamed Achaour and Mohamed Mouftakir took part in the exercise. Everyone had a week to make their short film.
Hero by Mohamed Achaour. The director decided to see the effects of confinement through the eyes of his son. His basic question was “How do our youngest children experience lock-down? Are they even aware of it?”
The Kids by Hicham Lasri. Through unanswered dialogue the film-maker shows how loneliness can turn into anxiety.
Confinement by Mohamed Mouftakir. In this short film Mouftakir also follows his son. During this time of enforced break he wanted to focus on something experienced by many: introspection.
Grandmas Hands by Hassan Ouazzani. He chose to film his grandmother’s hands. The years have taken their toll, but they’re still skilful. For a few minutes they become the main actresses of this short film. Through them he tackles the theme of family separation.
Dreaming in the Time of Corona by Raja Saddiki. “Today, there are billions of us dreaming of living as before, of being able to be with our mothers, our friends, going to the beach, being in contact with people and nature. Dreams have never been an easier way of finding our former life” explains the director. The heart of her film reflects this desire, a nostalgia for the world before, thanks to a mixture of real images and cartoons by the young Moroccan designer Majda Jarbili.
The five short films are available here.
