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“The Distant Sea” Hits Moroccan Theaters, Evoking Memories of Migration and Questions of Alienation
Moroccan cinema is set to welcome a new film titled “The Distant Sea,” directed by Moroccan filmmaker Said Hamich, starting January 21. This marks a significant milestone for the film following its impressive journey through various national and international festivals, where it has received multiple awards, solidifying its presence in the cinematic landscape.
In this film, Hamich returns to exploring complex humanitarian issues, primarily focusing on migration, particularly reflecting on the 1990s as a critical period in Maghreb migration to Europe, filled with grand dreams, disappointments, and profound existential questions.
Spanning 117 minutes, the film tells the story of a Moroccan young man named “Noor” who migrates irregularly to the French city of Marseille. Along with his Algerian friends, he navigates the daily struggles of finding work while clinging to moments of joy amid a socially fragile and alienating reality.
The director employed diverse indoor and outdoor settings, creating a visually striking film that realistically captures the atmosphere of exile. The narrative maintains a balanced rhythm that captures the audience’s attention without sacrificing the depth of the human experience depicted.
The film follows Noor’s journey as he oscillates between the pain of separation from his roots and the struggle to hold onto his dreams, navigating his loyalty to the values of his homeland while confronting the shocks of new lifestyles that raise questions about identity, freedom, and integration.
“The Distant Sea” opens a broader discussion about the integration of migrants into host societies, alongside the social, cultural, and economic challenges that accompany it, in a context not devoid of discrimination and contradictions.
The musical aspect of the film stands out as a central element, with Hamich utilizing raï music, particularly songs by the late Cheb Hasni, not merely as a background score but as a parallel artistic character that accompanies the unfolding events and reflects the emotional states of the protagonists, from the initial scenes that establish a sense of nostalgia and the memory of a generation that experienced migration between hope and despair.
As the story progresses, raï music evolves into an emotional refuge for the characters and a means of remembrance and belonging, giving the film a profound emotional dimension that distinguishes its experience within contemporary Moroccan cinema.
The release of “The Distant Sea” in national theaters, following a series of accolades, cements Said Hamich’s position as one of the directors committed to humanistic cinema that poses significant questions in a calm visual language while restoring the memory of migration as an integral part of Moroccan social and cultural history.
