North American Premiere
Irrepressible Touda (Nisrin Erradi) only dreams of being a Sheikha, a respected traditional Moroccan performer empowered by the lyrics of the fierce female poets who came before her. Inspired by their songs of resistance and emancipation, she performs every evening in provincial bars under the lustful gaze of men. All the while, she sets her sights on the bright lights of Casablanca where she hopes to be recognized as a true artist while also securing a better future for both her son and herself.
Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Tlemsi, El Moustafa Boutankite, Lahcen Razzougui
France/Morocco/Belgium/
Denmark/Netherlands
2024
In Arabic with English subtitles
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Nabil Ayouch, Amine Benjelloun, Sebastian Schelenz, Katrin Pors, Mikkel Jersin, Eva Jakobsen, Marleen Slot, Elisa Fernanda Pirir
Screenwriter
Nabil Ayouch
Cinematography
Virginie Surdej
Editor
Nicolas Rumpl
Production Design
Eve Martin
Original Music
Flemming Nordkrog
Nabil Ayouch
Nabil Ayouch, a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Cesar Academy, co-founded the Arab Film Academy. His debut short film, Les Pierres Bleues du Desert (1992), introduced Jamel Debouzze. Ayouch’s feature films, including Mektoub (1997) and Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (2000), represented Morocco at the Oscars. Notable works include Much Loved (2015), banned in Morocco but acclaimed internationally, and The Blue Caftan (2023), which garnered over 50 awards and was shortlisted for the Oscars. He also founded Ali n’ Productions, promoting Moroccan cinema and supporting young talents.
Filmography: Mektoub (1997); Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (2000); Much Loved (2015); The Blue Caftan (2023)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Blue Boy Trial
Transgender filmmaker Kasho Iizuka revisits 1960s Japan and the sensational “Blue Boy Trial,” sparked by the arrest of a doctor performing sex reassignment surgeries. With trans actors in central roles, the film powerfully illuminates buried history, identity, dignity, and resilience.
A Sad and Beautiful World
This Lebanese love story chronicles the romance between a level-headed businesswoman and a romantic restauranteur across several decades in wartorn Beirut. It's funny, charming, melancholy and you'll feel it all.
Aruku - I Walk
This meditative documentary, captures the stories of four contemporary pilgrims on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage as they follow in the footsteps of master Kūkai, the monk who shaped Japanese Buddhism. Each is burdened, in different ways, by exhaustion, solitude, or quiet disillusionment.
How Dare You?
A bug-loving boy, a passionate classmate, and a troublemaker launch playful eco-protests against their town’s careless habits. As their missions escalate, they face real consequences in Director O’s witty, bittersweet Grand Jury Prize winner from the Toronto Japanese Film Festival.
One Last Love Letter
In 2024, Nazuna writes to the young man she secretly loved as a teenager. Her letter reaches his grieving father, revealing memories of Shinsuke, an aspiring boxer killed in the 2000 Naka-Meguro train disaster, and opening a tender exchange.