EXCLUSIVE: Mad Distribution has taken MENA rights for Moroccan director Meryem Benm’Barek’s Behind The Palm Trees which world premiered in Competition at the Marrakech Film Festival over the weekend.
The distribution arm of the Cairo-based pan-Arab film and talent company will oversee the release of the title across the MENA region and also showcase the title in its new theatrical showcase CineMAD, which kicks off this December.
Mixing genre with social and historical commentary, the thriller pushes boundaries with its exploration of the consequences of colonialism as well as relationships in a conservative society.
The Tangier-set drama stars Driss Ramdi (Escape From Raqqa) as a young Moroccan man torn between two woman: his longtime fiancé, played by Nadia Kounda (Raltat), and a wealthy French girl, played by Sara Giraudeau (The Bureau).
Drawn by the French girl’s glamorous lifestyle, he begins to neglect his long local girlfriend, knowing full well that his choices will catch up with him.
The cast also features renowned French actress Carole Bouquet and Olivier Rabourdin (Eastern Boys).
The film is a French-Moroccan-Belgian-Qatari coproduction between Paris-based Tessalit Productions and Orlean-based Furyo Films, in association with Mad Solutions.
It brings together an impressive group of talents in the Arab world and European indie space.
Benm’Barek co-wrote the screenplay with UK-Moroccan BAFTA and BIFA-nominated director Fyzal Boulifa (The Damned Don’t Cry) — in collaboration with Emma Benestan (Facing The Beast) and Agnès Feuvre (À Mains Nues).
Jean Bréhat (West Beirut, The Insult) and Emma Binet produce, with cinematography by shot by Son Doan (Viet and Nam), and editing by Christel Dewynter (Hippocrates: Diary of a French Doctor).
The film also received the support of the Doha Film Institute, Atlas Workshops and the Red Sea Souk, where MAD Solutions awarded it with its coveted Distribution Prize, offering distribution, sales, and marketing services valued at $50,000.
“Behind The Palm Trees shows us how love, passion, and the euphoria that comes with them are a universal language that transcends borders, cultures, and ethnicities,” said Mad Solutions co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab.
“It is an authentic and relatable Arab story with global appeal, and we couldn’t be more excited for you to see it. And all that aside, we just couldn’t resist working with a talented director like Benm’Barek after the impressive journey her last film, Sofia, went on!”
Commenting on her vision behind the film and why she picked Tangier as the setting for her story, Benm’Barek said: “This film comes from my desire to tell an intimate thriller, where romantic tensions slowly turn into dangerous forces. Tangier, a city full of contrasts, provided the perfect setting for this story.”
Benm’Barek was born in Rabat, Morocco, and grew up between Morocco, France, and Belgium. In 2010, she joined a directing program in Belgium’s INSAS, where she directed several short films, including Jennah, which was selected for several international festivals and shortlisted for the 2015 Oscars.
Her debut feature Sofia (2018) won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard before garnering several international awards, including the New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Paris-based Pyramide International handles international sales.
