The Blue Caftan

Decent, nicely shot and humanly enjoyable relationship drama, but too simple (once the cards are dealt, everything is clear) and non-conflicting to take up to two hours. I probably would have been a little softer if most of the action had taken place outdoors, so that I could enjoy the beauty of the medina of the Moroccan city, but plot-wise it could really be done in eighty minutes. (56th KVIFF) (07/10/2022)

The second feature film by Moroccan director Maryam Touzani is set in her native country, where husband and wife Mina and Halim run a clothing shop – caftans. Halim sews the intricate patterns with his own hands and approaches the work with the love and patience that characterize the production design of this heartfelt and emotionally powerful film. Although Halim loves his wife deeply, he has always been sexually attracted to men, which he tries to hide for his own and later his wife's sake. The film flows slowly and focused, reinforcing the bonds between the characters with silent shots of them exchanging glances or touching each other fleetingly. The young and handsome apprentice Youssef impresses Halim, forming a love triangle, which does not develop the motif of infidelity, but various forms of love and affection. Maryam Touzani doesn't depict overt sexuality and relies on us to fully put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonists, especially Halim, whose stoic and pure personality is torn between passion for work, sexual desire and his love for Mina, who falls gravely ill. The Blue Caftan is a testimony to the disappearance of traditional crafts in a time and country that still does not favour non-traditional human unions. It's a film you have to listen to and adjust to the seams of the subtle editing, and you'll be rewarded with a generous dose of natural emotion. Personally, I haven’t been so thoroughly "wrung out" by a film in a long time. (07/18/2022)