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Assarab (1980)
Directed by Ahmed Bouanani
Overview
Ahmed Bouanani’s first feature film, Al-Sarab (Le Mirage) played a pivotal role in bringing experimentalism to Moroccan cinema, a strain that continues to run through much of the country’s filmic offerings. Le Mirage tells the deceptively simple fable of a young peasant’s attempt to change money he discovers in a flour bag, only to be taken on a journey through the city’s dark labyrinth, finding that nothing is as it seems. The film’s narrative structure continuously makes allusions to everything from literature to film, citing Morocco’s rich history and oral traditions, whilst tackling the ever-present specter of colonialism.