Touda (Nisrin Erradi) only dreams of two things: being a Sheikha, a traditional Moroccan performer singing songs passed down from generation to generation and creating a better life for herself and her deaf son. And it is in the lights of Casablanca that she sees both these dreams coming true. But things are far from easy in a world where desires can be exacerbated to the point of abuse. Written by director Ayouch and Maryam Touzani, and scored by Danish composer Flemming Nordkrog, this melodrama of music and motherhood is carried by the brilliant performance of Erradi as the resilient and hopeful woman at its centre.


This screening is part of our Country In Focus strand: a celebration of Moroccan Cinema. It is proudly supported by the Embassy of Morocco