Casablanca Beats
101 MINUTES, IN CINEMAS 29 APRIL STARRING: Anas Basbousi, Ismail Adouab, Zineb Boujemaa DIRECTOR: Nabil Ayouch
THE PLOT: Former rapper Anas (Basbousi) arrives at a Casablanca cultural centre to start a new programme coaching rap skills for local teens. The boys are initially more confident – but the girls have plenty to say. WHAT’S RIGHT WITH IT?
Set at the centre that director Nabil Ayouch co-founded in a shanty-town district of the Morocco city, this
docu-feel drama uses the centre’s students to build drama through characters that feel vividly real. WHAT’S WRONG WITH IT?
The storyline – involving the conservative local community pushing back against the rap programme – is fairly modest in scope.
VERDICT: A vibrant film giving voice to a marginalised community.