Shifting Narratives: Gender in Moroccan Cinema

Abstract

This paper endeavours to examine four cinematic works crafted by directors from Morocco, specifically Farida Benlyazid’s Women’s Wiles (1999), Yasmine Kassari’s The Dormant Baby (2004), Latif Lahlou’s Samira’s Garden (2007), and Hamid Zoughi’s Kharboucha (2008). Through the lenses of feminist theory and discourse analysis, this exploration delves into how contemporary Moroccan cinema has been reshaping the narratives surrounding femininity and masculinity. This cinema has not merely offered new avenues for representation to women directors; it has profoundly challenged and transformed conventional portrayals in film production. The Moroccan filmmakers in question emerge as active agents in challenging local cultural and social limitations, striving to play a crucial role in the “liberation” of women while also portraying masculinity in a state of turmoil.