Kamal Lazraq took home the Jury Prize winner for his film “Hounds”.
Doha, Qatar: The Doha Film Institute (DFI) has once again proved its mettle on the global stage as its funded films made a triumphant mark at the prestigious 76th Festival de Cannes. Celebrating the richness of Arab and Moroccan cinema, the festival witnessed remarkable achievements by DFI-supported filmmakers and actress.
Under the Un Certain Regard, the film “Hounds’ directed by Kamal Lazraq bagged the Jury Prize winner, while Asmae El Moudir took home the Best Director Prize for her film “The Mother of All Lies.”
Meanwhile, under the Feature films category, Merve Dizdar won the Best Performance by an actress for her role for the film “About Dry Grasses,” directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
In a social media post, DFI congratulated Kamal Lazraq and Asmae El Moudir for a “big day for Arab and Moroccan cinema.”
It also said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the Best Actress award win for Merve Dizdar for her performance in the DFI co-financed project “About Dry Grasses” by acclaimed Turkish Auteur and Qumra Master Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Congrats to Merve and the entire film team.”
Under the Un Certain Regard category, the film “Hounds,” directed by the talented Kamal Lazraq, clinched the coveted Jury Prize. He explained in an interview with the festival that the movie is not a comedy per se; it is very dark, and yet it does include this undercurrent of irony. “I also injected a dose of farce as well as a dimension verging on the absurd. What I had in mind was the figure of Sisyphus and his rock.”
Another noteworthy triumph came with Asmae El Moudir winning the Best Director Prize for her film “The Mother of All Lies.” El Moudir’s work masterfully weaves together a young Moroccan woman’s quest for truth with the intricate web of lies in her family’s history. Blending personal and national narratives, she skillfully draws connections between the 1981 Bread Riots and contemporary Morocco.
Adding to the list of accolades, the film “About Dry Grasses,” directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, captivated audiences and earned Merve Dizdar the Best Actress award.
Dizdar plays the role of Samet, a young art teacher grappling with the challenges of a remote village in Anatolia. Notably, she became the first Turkish actress to be recognised at the esteemed Cannes Film Festival.
In her acceptance speech, she poignantly revealed her deep understanding of the character’s plight, drawing from a profound empathy rooted in her own life experiences.
