Cherien Dabis, Lina Soualem, Marwan Hamed, Nassers 

Lina Soualem’s Spain-set family tale “Alicante,” Walid Messnaoui’s gangster Western “The Last Beast of Atlas” and Linda Lô’s search-for-identity drama “Lucky Girl” rank as buzz titles at the 7th Atlas Workshops, running Dec. 1-5 at the Marrakech Festival. 

“Mud” director Jeff Nichols has already been announced as this year’s Workshops tutor. 

They will also unveil first images from three of the most awaited movies from the Arab world – from “Amreeka” director Cherien Dabis and “The Yacoubian Building” helmer Marwan Hamed and Tarzan and Arab Nasser, behind Palestine Oscar entry “Gaza Mon Amour.”

Adding to this, however, are a slew of first or second features by young filmmakers hailing from Morocco, Africa and the Arab world who have already gained Academy Awards or big fest recognition, giving the 2024 Atlas Workshops one of the highest-caliber and exciting lineups of any development program this year.

“Arab and African cinema is now being selected at the world’s big festivals. Projects are now being structured as strong potential films for the international market. Rather than just social drama fiction – which we still need – filmmakers are embracing all genres, finding highly creative ways to reflect the drama and hope of our world,” Atlas Workshops director Hédi Zardi told Variety, adding that his selection criteria has been “bold original stories which can also connect with market demand.”   

Heading potential Workshop standouts this year, having made a splash at 2009’s Sundance with “Amreeka,” about being Arab in America, and “May in the Summer,”about being American in the Middle East, Dabis will present first images of “All That’s Left of You,” a multi-generational tale about being Palestine, shot in Arabic. 

A revenge drama from brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” weighs in as the Workshop’s biggest co-production – between Palestine, France, Germany, Portugal, Jordan and Saudi Arabia – with Bac Films handling French distribution and international rights.

“El Sett” is the latest big swing from Egyptian Hamed whose movies brought a new level of international ambition to modern Egyptian filmmaking. 

First fiction feature filmmakers at the Workshops take in Soualem, who attracted heat with 2023 Venice and Toronto title “Bye Bye Tiberias,” about her mother Hiam Abbas. 

They also take in, however, Murad Abu Aiseh, the first Arab to win a Student Oscar, and Zamo Mkhwanazi, the first Black South African director to have a fiction film – short “Sadla” – at Sundance.

“Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” from Egypt’s Morad Mostafa, won this September’s Venice Production Bridge’s Final Cut; Charlotte Rabate’s TV series “The Colony” was picked up by HBO Max.

Also in the mix are awaited second features. One, “Behind The Palm Trees,” is from the Oscar-nominated Meryem Benm’Barek (“Jennah”), whose debut feature “Sofia” scooped best screenplay at Cannes’ 2018 Un Certain Regard.

“In the Shadows of Good Fortune,” from Nigeria’s Babatunde Apalowo marks his follow-up to “All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White,” which won a Berlin best feature Teddy Award. 

Of more consolidated directors, Tala Hadid’s first film screened at Toronto, her second at Berlin.

A more detailed drill-down on the far-ranging Atlas Workshops titles: 

Projects in Development

“Alicante,” (Lina Soualem, Algeria, France)

After break-up, Assia seeks downtime with her family which has just opened a restaurant in Spain. She’s soon battling to save the family business. A sense of identity drama from one of the highest-profile first fiction feature filmmakers at the Workshops, backed by Omar El Kadi and Nadia Turencev at go-ahead French outfit Easy Riders Films. 

“Flowers of the Dead,” (“Flôr di Finado,” Nuno Miranda, Cape Verde, Portugal)   

In early development, the latest from Miranda whose 55-minute “Kmêdeus” (“EatGod”) screened at the Rotterdam Festival. “Flowers” weighs in as a romantic road movie set against Cape Verde’s “mystical” landscape involving two characters dealing with grief and personal growth. Pedro Soulé produces for Cape Verde’s KS Cinema, Pedro José-Marcellino for Portugal’s Pedrada.

“Ici Repose,” (Moly Kane, Senegal, France)

The potential first feature from Senegal’s writer-director Kane, best known for 2011 short “Moly,” screened in Cannes Classics, and “Sër Bi” (“Les tissus blancs,” 2020) and for founding the Dakar Court festival in 2018. Inspired by true events, a conformist mother who tries to fit in her neighbourhood determines to stand up to conventions to bury her son, lynched for being gay. Produced by Babubu Films (“Sër Bi”) and Films Grand Huit, behind Berlin Silver Bear winner “Disco Boy.” 

“The Last Beast of the Atlas,” (Walid Messnaoui, Morocco)

A twilight Western-drama marking the anticipated feature debut from Casablanca-born and ESAV Marrakech Film School alum Messnaoui, admired for 2022’s intense and despairing petty crime caper “No Key,” an Indie Short Fest winner that also screened at Fantastic Fest. Set in the 1990s middle-Atlas, “The Last Beast” turns on Boulohouch, a legendary outlaw and “symbol of freedom and terror.” Then the myth begins to crumble. Produced by Taoufik Rais, El Mahdi Amsrouy at Caestus Film, behind “No Key,” and a fast-consolidating  player on the Moroccan film scene with a second project at the Workshops.

“Lucky Girl,” (“Chanteuse,” Linda Lô, France)

In her debut feature, Lô tells her own story in a fiction film. During a vacation in Bordeaux, Lili, 4, and her brothers, aged 9 and 20, are left to to their own devices when their flamboyant mother returns without them to Gabon to run her restaurant- discotheque. Seen in three acts – as a little girl, teen and you woman, Lili grows into Linda, determined to make her mother proud and reconnect with her African heritage. Produced by Didar Domehri’s Maneki Films, a classic French indie producer of big fest plays, such as “Paulina,” “White Elephant” and “Bang Bang.” 

“The Orange Grove,” (Murad Abu Eisheh, Canada) 

Backed by Roger Frappier, a producer on Jane Campion’s “The Power Of The Dog,” adapting Larry Tremblay’s 2013 novel, about an actor-understudy’s war-plagued childhood with his twin brother, much spent in an orange grove. Eisheh’s “Tala’vision” won not only a Student Oscar but best short at the Red Sea Festival.    

“Princess Téné,” (Fabien Dao, Burkina Faso)

Set in a modern Ouagadougou, Téné, queen of Ouagadougou’s nightlife, inherits the family stable, using the horses to transport drugs, until she resizes they are being sold to the same terrorists who killed her brother. Slowly, she connects with the community of horsemen and heritage of horses, which she left when she was a child. Produced by Moustapha Sawadogo at Future Films, “a team of creative film enthusiasts based in Ouagadougou,” he says.    

“Pure Madness,” (Inés Arsi, Tunisia, France)

A new project from Tunisia’s Instinct Bleu, founded in 2019 by Sarra Ben Hassen and a producer on “Who do I Belong To” by Oscar-nominated Meryam Joobeur, which premiered in Competition at Berlin Festival and is now a Special Screening at Marrakech. A first doc-feature, Arsi’s “Pure Madness” chronicles the director’s personal journey, intrigued by the secrets of an uncle who immigrated to France in the ‘60s, braving the omerta surrounding mental health issues in Tunisia.

“Samir, the Accidental Spy,” (Charlotte Rabate, France)

Samir, 12, escapes to Lebanon after Syria’s 1966 coup d’état. Convinced his father is a spy, he investigates with girlfriend Christine and discovers his father‘s secret. Set up at Coralie Dias’ Inter Spinas Films. Rabaté also  produced/co-wrote feature “Stray Dolls,” which bowed at Tribeca. Acquired by Arte, Netflix and The Criterion Channel, the Dias-produced short “Warsha” won a Sundance 2022 international Jury Prize and was Oscar shortlisted. 

“The Shelter,” (Talal Selhami, Morocco, France) 

Set up at Lamia Chraibi’s La Prod, behind movies by Hicham Lasri, Narjiss Nejjjar, Ismaïl Ferroukhi and Mohcine Besri, the latest from Selhami whose fantasy film “Achoura” took awards at the Hardline Festival and Sitges. Here, in Paris, Leila, a Syrian refugee war survivor, is asked to take care of Georges, a former diplomat now nearing the end of his life. This proximity to death awakens the ghosts of Leila’s past. 

“The Source,” (Mouloud Ouyahia, France, Algeria)

“A film that follows two friends who, like 21st-century gold-seekers, cross the boundaries of progress and ethics,” the synopsis runs, accompanied by a photo of a man in barren, sun-scorched mountains. Ouyahia’s follow-up to Cannes 2023 Directors’ Fortnight short, “The House is On Fire, Might as Well Get Warm.” Lead-produced by Toulouse-based L’Oeil Vif, founded by Lucas Senecaut and Ouyahia. 

“Your Turn 203,” (“A Vous, 203,” Cynthia Sawma, Lebanon)

“In a Lebanon in crisis, Aida, 50, a housewife, discovers new freedom and meaning in her life when she answers a casting call for extras,” per the synopsis. Set in “a world in which questioning one’s role in society becomes an essential act of change,” the Atlas Workshops notes. A reportedly spirited, colorful title directed by Sawma whose “Dreaming of Lebanon” was selected for SXSW and won best VR at the Ji.hlava doc fest. Produced by the Lebanon’s Abbout Productions and France’s Wheelhouse Productions. 

Atlas Close-Ups

“And Still I Rise,” (“A balles perdue, mon âme gagnée,” Djanis Bouzyani)

French-Moroccan actor-turned-director Djanis Bouzyani’s documentary “And Still I Rise” captures French tennis player Aravane Rezai who, torn between family loyalty and a thirst for freedom, attempts to stage a comeback, endangered by the belligerence of her own father. Produced by French arthouse powerhouses Agat Films-Ex Nihilo, behind “The Most Precious of Cargoes” at Cannes, as well as five other titles selected for the festival.   

“Dar Marjana,” (Lamia Lazrak, U.S., Morocco)

A doc feature backed by U.S.-based Caravan Features and Moroccan collective Paper Tongue, aiming to raise the visibility of women and nonbinary people of color, “Dar Marjana” turns on restaurant owner Kenza who determines to leave her family restaurant set in a 200-year-old home in Marrakech’s Medina, inhabited by capricious yet powerful jinns. Directed by Portland-based Moroccan Lazrak, whose shorts include “Camoflauge” and “Birth of Venus,” here depicting her own family. 

“The Field,” (“Le Champ,” Mohamed Bouhari, Morocco)  

Written and directed by Bouhari (“Jeans,” “Abandon de poste”), five characters whose paths cross in a vast corn field in Morocco are forced to confront their fears, principally that of punishment. Set up at Casablanca’s Le Moindre Geste (“Le Miracle du Saint Inconnu”), established by Francesca Duca and Alaa Eddine Aljem in 2012.    

“Fatwa,” (Mohamed El Badoui, Morocco)

The next from Spain-based actor-director El Badoui, best known for “Lalla Aisha,” starring Angela Molina, and “Palestine,” a West Bank-set mistaken identity drama.  

“The Nours,” (“Les Frères Noirs,” Yassine Iguenfer, Morocco)

A singular, upbeat and potentially highly cinematic road movie set in 1975 Morocco against stunning Atlas landscapes, as a young Vietnamese man called Ahmed Nour, arrives in Casablanca with a green truck, aiming to find his Moroccan father. Produced by Caestus Films.  

Films in Production or Post-Production

“Aisha Can’t Fly Away,” (Morad Mostafa, Egypt)

The winner of the 2024 Venice Production Bridge’s Final Cut, Mostafa’s first feature was put through Doha Film Institute’s Qumra Lab. In it, a woman cares for her elderly parents as she witnesses the ethnic tensions in Cairo. “Powerful and authentic,” said the Final Cut jury, which added: “Despite being a first feature film, it showcased confident direction and a distinct cinematic voice. The film’s gritty realism, attention to detail and impactful storytelling left a strong impression on us.” 

“All That’s Left of You,” (Cherien Dabis, Palestine)

One of the most awaited titles in the whole Atlas Workshops, covering different generations of a Palestine family. Dabis’ third film stars Dabis and a stellar Palestine cast of brothers Adam Bakri (“Official Secrets”) and Saleh Bakri (“Wahib”) and father Mohammad Bakri (“Private”). Germany’s Pallas Film and Cyprus’ AMP Fireworks produce.  

“Bardi,” (Tala Hadid, Morocco, U.S., France)

Following on Hadid’s multi-prized Berlin-selected “House in the Fields” (2017), the second part of a projected doc-feature trilogy that tracks a traveling brotherhood of horsemen across Morocco. “The film is an ode to horses and men and to the passions that bind them,” the synopsis runs. Produced by Morocco’s Kairoi Films, Danny Glover and Joselyn Barnes’ Louverture Films, France’s Cine Sud and K Films.

“Behind The Palm Trees,” (Meryem Benm’Barek, Morocco, France)

Now in post-production and another anticipated title at this year’s Atlas Workshops, produced by International Oscar-nominated (“Days of Glory”) Cannes regular (“France”) Jean Bréhat, the failed romance between a young Moroccan and rich French expat woman is set against the backdrop of France’s domination of Morocco.

“Chronicles From the Siege,” (Abdallah Al Khatib, Palestine, Algeria, France)

Produced by Algeria’s Issaad Film Production and France’s Evidence Film and Blue Train Films, a fictional continuation of Abdallah Al Khatib’s critically acclaimed first doc-feature, “Little Palestine: Diary of a Siege.” “Often infused with dark humor, five interconnected stories explore life under siege, where human beings, in search of their most basic needs – food, warmth, pleasure, sex, and health – reveal their ingenuity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of adversity,” the synopsis runs. 

“Laundry,” (Zamo Mkhwanazi, Switzerland, South Africa)

Set in South Africa in 1968 and based on Mkhwanazi’s family history, in “Laundry” Khutala hesitates between his dream of a career in music and saving the family laundry concern as an apartheid government cracks down on Black business ownership. The feature debut of respected short film director Mkhwanazi, produced by Akka Films, which has moved from doc features to fiction, such as Un Certain Regard player “The Shameless,” and South Africa’s Kude Media, behind “Sadla.” 

“In the Shadows of Good Fortune,” (Babatunde Apalowo, Nigeria)

A dramatic drama and study of family dynamics as parents react to their daughter’s diagnosis of a life-threatening illness from a writer-director renown for his psychological observance. Produced by Nigeria’s Polymath Pictures and The Make It Happen Production.

“It’s a Sad and Beautiful World,” (Cyril Aris, Lebanon)

The first fiction feature from Lebanon’s Cyril Aris whose latest doc-feature, 2023’s “Dancing on the Edge of Volcano,” won a Karlovy Vary special jury mention. A romcom set in a Lebanon assailed by economic crisis, “two star-crossed lovers, one an eternal optimist and the other an impulsive pragmatist, must decide if they want to build a family and chart a track to happiness,” says one synopsis. Produced by a powerful combination of legendary Lebanese producer Georges Schoucair at Abbout Productions (“Zama”), U.S.-based  Diversity Hire, behind Un Certain Regard winner “Joyland,” and Germany’s Reynard Films.

“Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” (Tarzan and Arab Nasser, Palestine) 

Described by one co-production partner, Kometa Films, as a revenge drama set as Hamas tightens its control on Gaza. Yahia sets out to avenge the brutal murder of Ossama, his friend. A meeting with his killer “changes everything,” however. Lead produced by France’s Les Films du Tambour.

Atlas Film Showcase

“El Sett,” (Marwan Hamed, Egypt) 

A big period bio featuring star Mona Zaki as iconic Egyptian songstress Umm Kulthum who from the late 1920s became the first prominent Arab singer to disseminate her work to the masses via the new technologies of the times: radio, the phonograph, cinema and television. Producing are Egypt’s Synergy Films, Film Square, Film Clinic, Luxor Studios and Oscar Studios.