Seventy-nine-year-old María Ángeles (Carmen Maura) lives an independent existence in the Spanish quarter of Tangier. When her daughter Clara (Marta Etura) arrives from Madrid to pressure her into selling her apartment, however, the stable trajectory of María’s life is thrown off course. Resolving to stay no matter the cost, María quietly rebels against her daughter’s wishes and in so doing develops an unexpected romantic connection with someone she once considered an opponent.
Following the acclaimed The Blue Caftan (VIFF 2022), Moroccan director Maryam Touzani makes her Spanish-language debut with this deeply felt film about age, motherhood, and resilience, drawing from memories of her own grandmother. Anchored by Spanish screen legend and Pedro Almodóvar regular Carmen Maura, the film refracts María’s predicament through a delightful and eclectic ensemble of characters. It is a film that portrays the experience of aging not as defeat, but as a continual defiance of one’s limits.
Audience Award, Venice 2025; Oscar Submission: Morocco
Carmen Maura, Marta Etura, Ahmed Boulane, María Alfonsa Rosso
Morocco/France/Spain/
Germany/Belgium
2025
In Spanish and Arabic with English subtitles
At SFU Woodwards
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Nabil Ayouch, Amine Benjelloun, Jean-Rémi Ducourtioux, Simón de Santiago, Fernando Bovaira, Fred Burle, Sol Bondy, Sebastian Schelenz
Screenwriter
Maryam Touzani, Nabil Ayouch
Cinematography
Virginie Surdej
Editor
Teresa Font
Production Design
Eve Martin, Samir Issoum
Original Music
Freya Arde
Maryam Touzani
Born in 1980, Maryam Touzani grew up in Tangier, Morocco before pursuing a university degree in journalism in London. Passionate about writing, she moved back to her home country to work as a journalist, specializing in North African cinema, and eventually developed the urge to express herself though her own films. She has directed a number of documentaries and short fiction films, including When They Slept (2012) and Aya Goes to the Beach (2025), both of which screened around the world and received a number of awards.
Filmography: Adam (2019); The Blue Caftan (2022)
Photo by Lorenzo Salemi
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
An American Werewolf in London
Two American students get into a spot of bother with the wildlife in rural England. Then they introduce the virus to the big city... John Landis's goofy horror comedy is a very good night out. So long as it's not a full moon...
