The Mirage, 1979. Photograph of the film by Mohamed Bayzou
PLEASE NOTE
Thank you for your interest in this screening of Ahmed Bouanani’s The Mirage. Due to unforeseen circumstances the screening is not able to go ahead.
Myriam Mouflih will present a different film as part of our South by South programme in January 2021. Details will be announced on our social media channels.
The Mirage (1979) is acclaimed Moroccan director Ahmed Bouanani’s only feature film. The film is selected for South by South by Myriam Mouflih, a curator, film programmer and writer.
Set in Morocco in 1947, the film follows Mohamed, a poor young farmer living in a rural community during French colonial rule. After finding a large sum of money concealed in a sack of flour, Mohamed journeys to the city of Salé to exchange the money and discovers it is more of a curse than a blessing.
During his encounters with tricksters, psychics and preachers, he flees from colonial troops, finding himself in the surreal landscapes of the city’s dark ruins and labyrinths.
Bouanani’s poetic film played a pivotal role in bringing experimentalism to Moroccan cinema. The film’s narrative structure frequently makes reference to mythology and literature, drawing from Morocco’s rich oral history traditions.
ABOUT
South by South is the SLG’s quarterly programme of bold and innovative cinema from Africa and the diaspora.
Myriam Mouflih works as Programme Co-ordinator for Africa in Motion Film Festival and is a Programming Fellow at Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival. Myriam also works for Scottish Contemporary Art Network and previously was on the committee of Transmission Gallery. Her current research focus is Artists’ Moving Image from the African continent and the diaspora.
ACCESS
- The film is in Arabic with English subtitles
- The screening will last one hour and 40 minutes. A pre-recorded introduction will be available to watch online
For more information on access at the SLG please read here.