ROCK THE CASBAH

Directed by Laila Marrakchi

Who’s in it?

The great Omar Sharif, in one of his last cinematic roles.

What’s it about?

This vibrant social comedy offers a close look at upper-class Moroccan society, in the lush beach-town of Tangier, where the family of Al-Hassan meets at their luxurious villa, for a three-day “wake” to mourn his death. While the main theme is death, the drama is studded with humour, irony, unexpected truths, unmentionable confessions, all of which keep the film sizzling with energy until the very end. In an expansive, women-oriented film, well-known female director Marrakchi has a celebrated cast of brilliant actresses to play the chief protagonists of the story. Each of them has their doubts and turmoil, which come out in the open.

Why watch it?

The clash between Eastern and Western cultures which in many ways is symptomatic of the Moroccan way of life is laid bare in the film, where one sister opts to live in Hollywood while two others chafe under the restrictions imposed on them. There is also an all-seeing grandmother, and an all-understanding maid, who add to the diverse female perspective in the film. A bunch of perky kids represent the newer generation. A young and handsome male character is a surprise element, whose story shakes all the women, and reiterates the unfair male-female equation in the country. The title is based on a hit song by an English punk rock band The Clash. This, in essence, is what the women of the film fight hard to do, as they are caught in between their Eastern roots and Westernised upbringing. In fact, their dilemma is typical of what most women face in contemporary Arab society.

Screening on June 25, at 4pm at RCB Forum 2nd Floor, River City Bangkok. Reservations at ticketmelon.com/rivercitybangkok/morocco.