Moroccan Film About Prostitution Creates Uproar
By Aida Alami
PARIS — A prostitution-themed film from Morocco that had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival
in May has set off a furor there: After six minutes of excerpts
appeared online, the government last week banned the movie from
theaters, the female stars received death threats and a male actor was
attacked with a knife.
The
film, “Much Loved,” by the Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch, includes
scenes of prostitutes in Marrakesh partying, speaking raunchy Arabic and
servicing wealthy Saudi clients. Within a few days of the May 19
premiere, the clips had received more than two million views on YouTube.
The movie became the subject of protests outside Parliament in Rabat
and of heated discussions on social networks in Morocco and France.
Conservative
Muslims view “Much Loved” as scandalous. Moderate Moroccans are
offended that the film’s dark portrayal of their country was shown at a
prestigious international film festival. The communications minister,
Mustapha Khalfi, a member of the Justice and Development Party, echoed
the outrage expressed by many when he said in a statement, “The film
undermines the moral values and dignity of Moroccan women as well as all
the image of Morocco.”
Mr.
Ayouch, 46, said in a telephone interview that he “was expecting a
debate, a polemic, some sort of confrontation because it is a sensitive
topic,” then added: “But I am not feeling good about this controversy. I
make films because I want Moroccans to see them.”
One
of the country’s most prolific filmmakers who is known to shine a light
on the seedier aspects of Moroccan life, Mr. Ayouch is no stranger to
run-ins with the government. Officials banned his 2002 film, “A Minute
of Sun Less,” because it contained explicit sexual behavior, including
between homosexuals.
“The
state needs to have faith in the Moroccan people and let them form
their own judgment,” Mr. Ayouch said, adding that every Moroccan knows
that prostitution, though illegal, is rampant in Marrakesh. “It was
important for me to let people hear the voices of these women who live
in complete despair.”
“Much
Loved” tells the story of four women trying to survive by selling their
bodies. After excerpts were leaked online, an actor who played a Saudi
client was wounded in a knife attack by a stranger who the actor said
accused him of tarnishing Morocco’s image. Death threats were also made
against the film’s actresses, including Loubna Abidar. (Mr. Ayouch has
secured an apartment where the women can safely stay.)
Recently,
appearing on a local radio show, Ms. Abidar jousted with a critical
host who warned her that he would go after her morally if she appeared
naked in the film. (She does.) But she told the host that she was merely
playing a role that Moroccans knew well.
“If
I would have played the role of a killer, would that have made me a
killer?” Ms. Abidar added. “There are thousands of prostitutes in
Morocco. You need to watch the movie to understand that there is much
more to it.”
Morocco
markets itself as a liberal Muslim country — the same week “Much Loved”
was banned, Jennifer Lopez performed a sultry dance at a Rabat music
festival that was broadcast on national television.
But
King Mohammed VI is also a religious leader who holds the title of
commander of the faithful, and the government says Islamic principles
should regulate society.
Some
analysts say reaction to the film reflects a sensitivity to
prostitution rather than the rise of Islamic conservatism in the
country.
Abdessamad
Dialmy, a researcher in sexual identity at Mohammed V University in
Rabat, said: “Prostitution exists but nobody must talk about it. The
state lets prostitution exist. This movie shows it, and that is what
bothers everyone.”
Marrakesh,
for example, is a well-known destination for sex tourists from Europe
and the Middle East. Prostitution is a pillar of the city’s economy.
More than 50 percent of prostitutes in the country care for their
families by selling sex, according to a Ministry of Health study
conducted in 2012 but released last week.
“Sex
labor is an informal response to unemployment,” Mr. Dialmy said. “In
certain regions, it allows the economy to function. It gives work to
taxis, hotels and so on. It helps the economy expand.”
Meriam
Cheikh, a doctoral candidate in anthropology at the University of
Brussels who is writing her thesis on sex labor in Morocco, said Mr.
Ayouch’s film accurately portrayed the situation she studied while
living for two years among sex workers in Tangiers.
“They
are the first victims of unemployment,” she said. “Many of them failed
their studies, cannot find jobs and engaged in paid sexual relationships
while hoping to find a husband and get out of the business.”
She agreed that prostitution, though illegal, was tolerated by the authorities.
“Sometimes
there are mass arrests, like in 2009, during election times when the
state wants to show that it is doing its job,” Ms. Cheikh added.
Petitions
seeking to lift the ban on “Much Loved” are circulating, and among the
film’s supporters are the directors Costa-Gavras and the brothers
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
“I researched the topic for a year and a half,” Mr. Ayouch said, “and the stories of hundreds of broken lives shook me.”
A version of this article appears in print on June 3, 2015, on page C6 of the New York edition with the headline: A Film on Prostitution Generates an Uproar.
A version of this article appears in print on June 3, 2015, on page C6 of the New York edition with the headline: A Film on Prostitution Generates an Uproar.