Behind the Palm Trees director Meriem Bembarek is going through a whirlwind of emotions as she prepares the film for its world premiere at the Marrakech Film Festival.
Meanwhile, the Moroccan author, whose debut feature film Sophia received rave reviews in Un Certain Regard in 2018, is thrilled to be releasing her latest work in her home country.
“I know that my film will be received here on a very deep level,” she told Variety.
At the same time, the joy culminates years of struggle to bring the project to fruition. “It was very difficult to make this film,” she says. “For seven years I experienced real moments of despair, but I never gave up. Above all, I held on to my vision, even though the process was very complicated and the film was made under very difficult economic conditions.”
Unlike its 2018 breakout, “Behind the Palm Trees” did not benefit from the significant public mechanisms that are often essential for projects of this scale. The lack of French institutional support was particularly noticeable for the film, which featured notable performers such as Carole Bouquet and Olivier Labourdin.
Carol Bouquet “Behind the Palm Trees”
“It shows how difficult it is for France today to confront the consequences of its colonial past in order to repair certain things,” Benbarek said. “I also think that it is difficult for many French people to accept the position that they still occupy in many countries, especially in Africa.”
Instead, the film was completed by a patchwork of international and local solidarity. “This film existed thanks to the support of Britain, Morocco and Belgium, but also because of the collective momentum from the community of Tangier, who rallied fully behind this project,” she says. “I was lucky to have many friends in Tangier who helped me. It was truly a collective effort for this film to exist. We didn’t have the money, but we didn’t give up.”
Importantly, she added, her creative autonomy was never compromised. “The producers never asked me for artistic concessions (which made the project difficult in certain areas, especially regarding frank depictions of sexuality),” she continues. “Unfortunately, given the state of the film industry today, directors often have to make compromises, sometimes even at the screenplay stage. But I can say that this film perfectly reflects my worldview. Every line of dialogue, every shot, every camera movement was thought out and carefully chosen. That makes a big difference. I didn’t leave anything to chance.”
Indeed, it would be nearly impossible to erase all traces of sexuality from this intimate thriller about a young man from Tangier who is torn between two very different romantic partners. A young contractor, Mehdi (Doris Lamudi), already semi-engaged to a socially reserved bakery employee, Selma (Nadia Kunda), soon finds himself attracted to the sexually liberated Marie (Sarah Giraudeau). A wealthy French woman starts out as a client, then becomes his lover and social benefactor, fueling his upward mobility and fantasies of a different life.
Doris Lamdie and Sarah Giraudeau
“We had to maintain absolute creative freedom,” Benmbarek explains. “Marie allows access to her body, and it was important for us to know that because the story is experienced through Mehdi’s gaze. Selma, by contrast, is defined by modesty, she doesn’t reveal herself and denies access to her body. Therefore, the intimate scenes needed a different visual language. Even if they don’t resonate with everyone, these were intentional choices that reflected my artistic vision and the direction I wanted the film to take.”
Films like “Dirty Dancing” and “Titanic” resonated with Benbarek as he developed his latest feature, providing inspiration for blending sharp social commentary with compelling and relatable storytelling.
“‘Dirty Dancing’ was way ahead of its time,” she says. “It deals with abortion, class divisions, and a girl becoming a woman and being freed from her father. (And Titanic, like many films) follows characters who move from one social class to another.”
“I grew up on ’90s thrillers and cheesy Saturday night TV movies,” she continues. “I make the kind of movies that I want to see as an audience. I don’t think you have to overthink everything. You have to center around pleasure. Because movies are hard to make. And it gets harder and harder.”
“Our work is full of questions and is never easy,” she says. “So it’s important to hang on to that place of joy, and remember what made us want to make films in the first place. We are first and foremost an audience, and we were moved by a film. That sense of joy is essential. Otherwise, it becomes too difficult to continue.”
Doris Lamudi and Nadia Kunda
