Adam

Heavily pregnant Samia is wandering the streets of Casablanca looking for work and shelter. She eventually knocks on the door of single mother and widow Abla, who owns a bakery. At first Abla reluctant to help Samia, but luckily her eight-year-old daughter disagrees. ultimately Abla if left with no other choice but to shelter Samia in the last days leading up to the birth.

World-famous actress Loubna Azabal (Abla), also known from Sofia, and young Nisrin Erradi (Samia) complement each other in an excellent way, making the relationship between the characters both engaging and credible as it develops. Maryam Touzani’s directorial debut radiates confidence, and criticizes the patriarchal norms of the Moroccan society, like many of the films coming out of the country in recent years. The strong message oozes from the screen, just like the scent of the sweets the two women produce in the bakery.

Johanne Svendsen Rognlien

Read Ny Tid's review of Adam here (in Norwegian).

Director

Maryam Touzani (b. 1980) is a Moroccan director with her education from London. She has made two short films, and worked as a writer on films such as Much Loved (2016) and Razzia (2018) with her husband Nabil Ayouch. In Razzia she also plays the lead role. Adam is her debut as a director, and the film premiered in the prestigious section Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2019.