Producer : Nabil Ayouch
Date of Release : 2012
Disclaimer :
Since the release of the Movie named "Ya Khayl Allah" in 2012 by Nabil Ayouch, many people objected the contents of the movie and said that it touches the Moroccan identity from the inside, thus many intellectuals view the Movie from their own perspectives, but as a Cultural Anthropologist I watched the movie several times and in several versions, to grasp what the producer wants to say in his ultimate work. But I was shocked by the immense negativity that the producer used to depict such matter. The review I am writing is a personal view and it does not support any part or any Ideology.
Synopsis:
"The movie started with the depiction of small children playing football in one of the Shanty town in Casablanca, poverty and dirt dominate the whole scene, then the focus of the camera moved from the general to specify the life and events of two families inside this Shanty town. Events developed to describe the change happened to those men in light of Islamisation and the show up of an Islamic group who try to convince those men to change their Ideology and to implement a radical change in their life, than events ended up with two of those men exploding themselves in several part of Modern Casablanca."
Notes on the Movie :
As a reviewer, I was longing to see that such a movie would judge and stop the negative perspective, that "Islam as a semitic religion is responsible for those attacks that we see in the whole world," but as real idea I saw that the producer expands this view and makes it concrete.
Personally I've never thought that a Moroccan producer coming from Moroccan origins would depict his country in such a negative way, in fact, the pictures exposed inside the movie are extremely negative.
In addition to that, I see it useless to promote the idea that this Shanty Town named "Sidi Moumen" is not a part of Casablanca and that the authorities of the city are neglecting the population inside this part.Besides I still don't know what is meant by use of that immense sexual assault and Gayism performed by the population of this shanty town, is it to say that women in this shanty town don't exist ? or is it to say that the mean reason behind these terroristic attacks is pederasty ? I am still confused about this idea.
Another important aspect in the movie is the use of Gangsta. The Shanty town of "Sidi Moumen" according to the producer is just a cradle of Cannabis, gangs and criminals, and that Moroccan authorities inside this shanty town are depicted as corrupt. Though It never comes to my mind that the language used in the movie is uncensored and most terminologies relate to insults and sexual assaults in the first part. In the second part during the "Islamisation" of characters, language have been changed radically and the focus became on the religious speech and religious expressions.
And yet, it is useless to depict the existence of men with beards wearing Islamic uniform, and calling people for "Jihad" in a rainy day, if we would like to ask a question, This "Jihad" against whom ? and why Moroccan authorities are completely absent in that moment ? do they fear from rains ?
Yet it is hardly expressed; to whom this Islamic Group belong ? It is completely shameful to let the viewer asks empty questions which have no answer.
The notions of Love and Dominance overlap inside the movie, and the focus is more on the Intoxication of those young to make the "Attacks".
My Personal Attitude :
Personally I see that Mr. Nabil Ayouch took the subject matter from a westerner point of view. In his movie he tries to clarify or impose the idea that Terrorism came from Poverty and Illiteracy, and that Moroccans in this aspect lack patriotism and love to their country, and that religion and extremism dominate the whole run. In addition to that, I was ashamed to see those sexual depictions of that young boy being assaulted by many Characters. It is such a shameful attack on Moroccan childhood.
Though I completely disagree with the use of Islamic expression to portray Terror in Islam. For example, the expression of "O Horses of Allah" is used to depict the Soldiers of Islam in the time of Islamic victories. But in the context of the movie the meaning is changed and semantic function shifts from the good meaning to the bad meaning.
Also my big objection is mainly on the use and the portrayal of Islam as a curse to this country and as a symbol to the Middle East, may be the producer is longing to introduce a new orthodoxy to Morocco in order to create an environment of tolerance and conformity.
Again I still don't know what is the benefit of using an Uncensored Language, completely related to the terminology of Sex and Humiliation of Human race.
And as an Anthropologist, I see there is no use to relate between an International case like Terrorism and a religion which calls for tolerance and acceptance of the others. Culture and Politics have no relation at all.
And finally I would personally say that Producers are intended to present and portray their culture in a positive way abroad not to destroy the image of their country in front of the world. Because what is intended to be real in the movie is fake in the reality.
Recommendations :
The movie is intended to support the western point of View about Islam and its relation to Terror. So I hardly recommend it to academics who already have a background about the Subject Matter. Though the movie shall be prohibited to children under the age of Puberty due to explicit contents of sexual assault between males during the events. For Moroccan viewers, the language is so much vulgar and sexual jargon dominate the whole discussions. Violence also dominates the whole picture in the movie, the use of Drugs and alcohol take over the first part of the movie.