Morocco/2021—directed by Nabil Ayouch | 101 min. 

Director Nabil Ayouch drew on his own experience opening a cultural center in Casablanca for this story of a former rapper named Anas (Anas Basbousi) who takes a job teaching hip-hop in an underprivileged neighborhood. Despite differences in identity, religion, and politics, Anas encourages his young students to bond and break free from restrictive traditions in order to follow their passions.

Featuring a dynamic ensemble of first-time actors, Casablanca Beats is a vibrant coming-of-age musical with a feminist edge that transports viewers far from familiar clichés—cinematic and otherwise—about the Arab world. Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival. In Arabic with English subtitles.  

“Casablanca Beats infects the audience with the unshakable belief that a person who has self-confidence and self-expression can really change society.” -Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter