North American Premiere
The vibrant city of Marrakech is a magnet for European tourists, and all they need to get there is their passport and a plane ticket. But, without a visa, the locals don’t enjoy the same freedom of movement. Many young Moroccans, like Samir, consider marrying a foreigner the key to pursuing a better life in Europe. Dreaming of love, and of leaving his home country, he laments the fleetingness of his relationships with the tourists he dates—never knowing if they’ll come back someday because they’re drawn to him, or to the destination.
Meanwhile, Samir’s sisters have high hopes that he will find stability and satisfaction through an arranged marriage with a Moroccan woman. When he falls in love with a tourist, Samir must weigh a life-changing decision: follow his girlfriend to Europe, against his sisters’ wishes? Or marry a woman he doesn’t know, selected for him by his family? Complemented by a fantastically stirring soundtrack, Julia Furer’s wistful documentary explores the emotional complexity of long-distance relationships and culture clash in a globalized world.
Q&A Sept 30 & Oct 8
Supported by
Media Partner
Switzerland
2021
In Arabic, Berber, and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Modern Whore
In director Nicole Bazuin's cheeky, stylized documentary, Modern Whore-memoirist Andrea Werhun (Paying for It) recounts her experiences as an escort and stripper in Toronto, debunking misconceptions about the world’s oldest profession.
Castration Movie Anthology 1: Traps
Louise Weard's underground movie is a talk-a-thon in two chapters and four hours: a sex worker contemplates having her testicles removed, and a movie production assistant pitches himself right out of a job, and other misadventures in Vancouver life.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Agatha's Almanac
Shot over six years on vibrant 16mm film, Agatha’s Almanac is an artful documentary portrait of filmmaker Amalie Atkin’s octogenarian aunt, who has fashioned herself an endearingly simple and self-sustaining lifestyle on her Manitoba farm.
Credits
Producer
Franziska Sonder, Stella Händler
Screenwriter
Julia Furer
Cinematography
Nathalie Kamber
Editor
Marielle Pohlmann
Original Music
Moritz Widrig
Director
Julia Furer
Julia Furer has a Bachelor of Arts from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In 2015, she received the Promotion Award of the zeugindesign Foundation for her documentary Julian. She has a Master’s in Film, specializing in documentary film, from Zurich University of the Arts. In 2022, she won the Swiss Film Award for Best Graduation Film for her first feature documentary, Love Will Come Later.