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English Titles A

Ali Zaoua

Original title: Ali Zaoua
German title: Ali Zaoua
Marocco, France, Belgium, 2000

Director: Ayouch, Nabil
Production company: Playtime, France, Ocean Films (F)
Age recommendation: 12 years and up

Synopsis:
Docu-fiction on children fighting for their survival in the streets of Casablanca: Aki, Omar, Kouka and Boukber have been living in the streets of Casablanca for years. The 12 year old "chemkras", as they are called, have to struggle day after day for survival in a hostile universe where they are confronted with violence, misery, prostitution and indifference. Their only support is their friendship, but their life is not different from from the one of many children of Casablanca. One day, a chief of a rival gang kills Ali. His friends, confronted by his death, don't know what to do: abandon the corpse or call the police in whom they have absolutely no faith?

Comments:
A very strong film!

Ali Zaoua is a modern Oliver Twist-tale about trying to keep dreams alive in a tough reality. (Buster Copenhagen 2002)

Festivals:
Mannheim 2000, Berlin 2001, FESPACO/Ouagadougou 2001, Zlin 2001, Cinekid Amsterdam 2001, Vienna 2001 (awarded), Sandnes 2001, Olympia 2001, Buster Copenhagen 2002 (awarded), Malmö 2002

World sales address/es:
TFI Studio (F)
Film Four (GB)

Sold to:
Arsenal-Filmverleih (DE)
Park Junior (NL)
Danish Film Institute (DK)
CinéArt (BE)
Ocean (F)
Vertigo (Esp)