00:00:02:

00:00:06: Hi there movie breakers, welcome to the Shanghai Film Festival.

00:00:10: I'm here with one of directors for a wonderful competition film that i could watch yesterday at its premiere.

00:00:17: it comes right from Morocco touching on an important very timely and tough subject Yassine El Idrisi to talk about this film Halima.

00:00:26: Thank

00:00:27: you for having me!

00:00:28: This

00:00:28: film, it was your feature film debut and you landed straight into the competition of one of the world's major festivals.

00:00:35: how does that feel?

00:00:36: Well... It is a wonderful experience especially because this film was made by a small crew with very tiny budgets in long period And this is good ending for our story.

00:00:50: A fascinating story also.

00:00:52: The film which you said was inspired by your grandmother.

00:00:56: and buy woman in your life.

00:00:58: it's about a very tough elderly women who is by poverty forced to go into the cannabis trade under cannabis trade.

00:01:06: At that time in the film it's illegal, but then it gets legalized for medical purposes.

00:01:11: In Morocco.

00:01:11: so its a similar situation as many European countries.

00:01:14: how did character develop?

00:01:36: women who find their ways to survive the hardship.

00:01:41: How did you find this amazing actress?

00:01:43: Hadija Lamari is a wonderful actress, worked for series like small roles like Grandmother also in video clip advertisement but she never had the chance to be the main character.

00:01:56: I know her by face.

00:01:58: yeah She's kind of famous But i've never talked with her and started calling my friends actors working theatre.

00:02:05: So in cinema I asked them, do you know old lady that can this kind of story?

00:02:10: And everyone was proposing different people.

00:02:12: I met many women and then when i saw Halima like wow she's just the face is the character First, and then I went to Marrakesh where she lives.

00:02:22: And we stayed three days there into the house near her... ...and she was coming every day to the casting with me and Rabbi another actor.

00:02:30: We give all of our situations that are important for the film.

00:02:34: You know in a film it is hard when you don't need to act like driving a car eating.

00:02:38: But this part were very important In the drama.

00:02:41: i focus on those parts.

00:02:42: The first time we made training of twelve hours next ten hour She was in, you know.

00:02:49: She loved it.

00:02:50: she wanted to be that character.

00:02:51: after three days I left her and went home.

00:02:54: i thought about It.

00:02:55: then I called her said You are with us really love it.

00:02:58: That way she will Be the main character of a future film.

00:03:00: at

00:03:01: heart Of The story is Cannabis trade And the situation that it creates both as A legal item or a criminalized Item for the poorest and most vulnerable people In society.

00:03:12: What was your motivation to focus on this contentious subject?

00:03:18: I went to Ktama, like the capital of Marihuana in Morocco when I started feeling that they are humans and they're obliged job because In their land only marihuana can grow.

00:03:51: It's a culture there And they were born on it.

00:03:53: They cannot find another solution...and i felt That they are victims Because the police is behind them..they cannot move from their villages.

00:04:00: If they moved The Police will catch them at any streets.

00:04:04: There isn't warrant for them.

00:04:05: Their children have this Roma Of family.

00:04:08: With time I start becoming friends with them.

00:04:10: The job is like that.

00:04:13: And maybe this should change, you know?

00:04:15: If cannabis becomes legal people will return legally and there are thousands of thousands.

00:04:20: we're the biggest producer in the world with seventy percent of hashish in Europe.

00:04:25: it's from Morocco.

00:04:26: It was all time on my mind I have to make a film about them.

00:04:29: I had to give them stories when I got the funding for work.

00:04:33: When i've got enough budget to make films.

00:04:35: That would be the first one because many scripts already, four or five.

00:04:41: But I did this one because it's possible to do with the budget i had and also because of urgency Because the law was starting to be finalized.

00:04:49: Do

00:04:49: you see these films as a form of social advocacy?

00:04:52: It could depend on who will see them.

00:04:55: which contest Could open discussion about this The history of Morocco and Hashish And how we can develop the laws?

00:05:03: The law is not stable Something that we have to leave stable.

00:05:06: We cannot make things better.

00:05:08: I hope this film also opened his discussion.

00:05:11: Morocco has a lot of potential to make good economy out of these problems, there was the problem.

00:05:16: now it could be solution for many people.

00:05:18: In

00:05:18: European cinema we often see very sensationalized, very garish portrays of people who are involved with drugs.

00:05:25: but your film is realistic down-to earth and main character is a very demure woman that leads simple life without much spectacle.

00:05:33: Why kind of contrast?

00:05:36: What does the realist style that you apply mean for you?

00:05:40: For me, there's kind of films I can do many.

00:05:42: Every story has its own style inside.

00:05:45: for me when i read the script... ...I know that this film should be made like this!

00:05:48: I cannot do it in other ways because It is a simple life In a simple place.

00:05:51: you don't need fancy movement of camera Because her life is stable.

00:05:55: This how I feel When I read any scripts.. ..I felt ''This is the genre''.

00:05:58: That´s How it Should Be shot.

00:06:00: For Me A Story About Simple Life Should Be Made A Simple Way But You Need Realism To Make It Believable.

00:06:07: Normally A Film Is carried with the style and this film felt for me that it should be a very simple, down to earth.

00:06:17: Most powerful parts of the films should have locations, characters & acts.

00:06:22: This is how I feel today!

00:06:23: I'm right in the script but at the same time many had as director like ok now what will we do?

00:06:28: How can you choose which way?

00:06:29: Which style?

00:06:30: Which kind of camera?

00:06:31: So we shot with vintage lenses from Nikon apart from Zai, sixty-seven years old Because I think the lenses of today are so similar, then they don't make different images.

00:06:44: Also because the film is about the past and i used elements from the past to bring this feeling after off-the-pass in them.

00:06:50: as a director you have to make choices that fits the story And serve it not too.

00:06:54: let's show up That I can move the camera for five minutes even if You have So much money to do whatever.

00:07:00: we shouldn't Do It?

00:07:01: We should really stay inside.

00:07:03: what was The biggest challenge when making This film.

00:07:06: with our moderate budget

00:07:07: Every thing is a challenge, every morning it's a challenge.

00:07:10: You count hours of the day because everyday shooting means hotels food insurance.

00:07:17: how many elements you need in one?

00:07:19: finding on the house takes so many days and they feel that there are two houses And both of them are far from other houses In middle of nowhere.

00:07:25: To find this in Morocco cannot be found.

00:07:27: cause its not secure Because doesn't make any sense to live alone without people who sell or buy To find these houses.

00:07:34: sometimes we travel for four days Without finding anything come back, and then we wait two weeks.

00:07:38: And then go again another direction to find the house.

00:07:42: even if you're on a house owner don't want to rent his house or he wants so much money cannot afford because here are film.

00:07:49: than think that all everyone helping TV is giving funding.

00:07:54: they do not understand.

00:07:55: there's independent cinema.

00:07:56: people who love making films give everything too this film.

00:08:00: Even If You Have The House You Need A House That Is Near To The Road Near To Hotels.

00:08:05: No, I think it's easy.

00:08:06: So many small elements that looks impossible to make but with good preparation and friends who helped on every side we made

00:08:13: them.

00:08:13: You also have been your own producer?

00:08:15: Did you make this easier or harder?

00:08:18: In some ways its easier because i don't need talk about someone just do what they want.

00:08:22: in other way is two jobs.

00:08:25: each one of those are very hard.

00:08:26: sometimes my mind stops thinking because it's too much.

00:08:30: few hours of sleep every day two hours.

00:08:32: you have to take care Of so many elements and in voices And also think about the actors and security So much.

00:08:40: It's very complex.

00:08:41: I didn't even had time and money To bring someone to make a behind-the-scenes.

00:08:45: if you saw that You will be surprised how this film was made now?

00:08:48: We need people who trust you actually, we needed team.

00:08:50: The trust.

00:08:51: your way of doing cuz i don't do as the other my or Every choice are you do is different.

00:08:56: I did lot small chances to make it happen, do not lose time.

00:09:02: Many parts of the film are long shots where many things happened in one shot like she's standing and men with the donkey come he is talking to her She takes a donkey.

00:09:10: This good also for production or no losing time because many thing happens on one shot.

00:09:15: you don't need change angle and lighting.

00:09:18: Before starting this film I thought all ways to make that happen.

00:09:23: i know we have enough time but then I had to be creative every side.

00:09:52: Even though more American films make it into the big A-list, festivals like Shanghai, it's still not so common to see films from Morocco especially in competition.

00:10:03: What do you think needs?

00:10:06: Have a broader presence of Moroccan cinema?

00:10:09: I think the solution should start from the cinema schools also.

00:10:12: The cinema schools in Morocco have less budget than they should, and to invite right teachers or directors making a cinema school is really expensive.

00:10:23: If you don't have enough budgets for the right people then students will have wrong mentors and wrong dreams.

00:10:30: All systems should change.

00:10:31: There are some problems with all system From education to the festival, local festivals.

00:10:37: The juries... Everything needs a change To put right people in the right place.

00:10:41: If that happens we can make great cinema.

00:10:43: I think We have lot of potential In Morocco.

00:10:45: Are you worried about how People not only internationally but especially also in Morocco might react to this film?

00:10:52: Anyways they like it.

00:10:54: It's good.

00:10:54: if They don't Like it is Good because its If You know why they Don't like it Subjects Of Discussion.

00:11:00: i Think That the role of A Film Is to Make People Talk About Subject Or About A Star or about a vision.

00:11:06: And for me, I believe in freedom.

00:11:08: everyone could give his opinion on my work and did what they can do because it was really hard.

00:11:15: You mentioned you already have few new projects that are in your mind.

00:11:20: would like to mention one of our listeners?

00:11:22: I think

00:11:23: i had many scripts ready.

00:11:26: One of them is called Safranland.

00:11:29: This one wants too many script labs around the world when prices.

00:11:38: We very much hope that this will happen because Halima is a wonderful film now at Shanghai Film Festival and I say thank you Yasine Al Idrisi for

00:11:47: the interview.