The Mother of All Lies review – pursuing the truth of Morocco’s brutal dictatorship years

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Asmae El Moudir employs a delicate mix of handmade replicas and oral testimony to brilliantly evoke personal and collective trauma Between those who refuse to remember and those who struggle to forget, a tumultuous clash of minds occupies the centre of Asmae El Moudir’s inventive documentary, a prize-winner at last year’s Cannes film festival. Through a constellation of clay figurines and dollhouse-style miniature sets, most of which were constructed by El Moudir’s father, the director recreates her oppressive childhood in the Sebata district of Casablanca. Under the watchful eyes of her domineering grandmother Zahra, all personal photos are banished from the house, save for a picture of King Hassan II. The delicate mix of handmade replicas and oral testimony brilliantly evokes the personal and collective trauma that stem from Morocco’s “Years of Lead” – a period of state brutality under Hassan II’s dictatorial rule. Lingering on the nimble fingers of El Moudir’s father as he puts t
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Against the Tide review old ways vs the new in a study of modern Indian fisherfolk

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Seafaring friends from Mumbai cope with a changing climate and an unforgiving economy in different ways in Sarvnik Kaur’s poetic, beautifully shot documentary

Sarvnik Kaur’s patient, plangent documentary follows two fishers and friends from Mumbai’s Koli community pursuing their livelihoods by different means. Ganesh is a likable grafter who commands a large crew and the latest technology for expeditions far out at sea. He lives in a modern apartment with his wife, Manali, and zooms around town in a van that has his Instagram handle – The Last Fisherman of Bombay – emblazoned on the side.

In contrast, the humble Rakesh, who lives with his wife, Devyani, their baby son and his mother-in-law, adheres to traditional Koli methods, trusting in his ancestors and restricting himself to shallow waters and a modest boat. In nocturnal chats that punctuate the film, the cultural and economic chasm between the two men is exposed. Ganesh encourages his friend to broaden his horizons, but Rakesh’s ambitions are limited to the dream of having a toilet at home.

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