STRAWBERRIES ©LUMEN–ATELIER DE PRODUCTION-MONT FLEURI PRODUCTION-FASTEN FILMS-MIRAGE-PRAESENS-FILM PRODUCTION AG-FRANCE 3 CINÉMA-IMPACT FILM
La Más Dulce (Strawberries), as seen by Laïla Marrakchi
Twenty years after Marock (2005), Laïla Marrakchi’s portrait of the golden Casablancan youth confronted with the prejudices of traditional society, this French-Moroccan filmmaker and screenwriter (who also directed Rock the Casbah (2013)) returns to Un Certain Regard with La Más Dulce (Strawberries). From Andalusian strawberry farms to the courts, this film celebrates sisterhood amidst a tale of exploitation.
How did this project come about?
It all began with a human rights and migration reporter friend, who was writing an article for the New York Times about Moroccan women who go to Andalusia to pick strawberries and who wanted to expose and denounce their working conditions. I traveled to Spain with her because I wanted to find out what had led to this need to speak out.
From the field, my screenwriter Delphine Agut and I slowly moved away from a factual account to create Hasna, a former Taekwondo champion, the mother of a little boy who was ready for a fresh start. Traveling to Spain, she meets Meriem and along the way I infused the story with my experiences as a Moroccan woman living in Paris, replete with the parallel worlds, the misunderstandings, and language barriers. I wanted to shine a light on these women and denounce the exploitative system behind these strawberries that we buy in European supermarkets.
It took me six years. The film begins with Andalusia, this so-called promised land, a few kilometers from Morocco and delves into the human need to dream, to weave a narrative to be able to move forward. For these women, speaking out becomes the only way to freedom and their only support system is each other.
What was the atmosphere like on the shoot? Have you got any stories from the set?
I learned to embrace happy accidents. The working conditions were difficult, there were two countries, several languages, a small budget, and a tight schedule. Yet, this pressure imbued the staging with a sort of radicalness.
There was a scene that had to be filmed on a boat between Tangiers and Tarifa, it was how the two protagonists met. Everything was scripted, except it didn’t work at all. I told myself I would reshoot at the end. There was a lot of wind and the elements were fierce, striking real fear in the actress, so we used that emotion in the scene. The rest of the film was created the same way, by embracing what happened.
Can you share a few words about your actors?
I had in mind that this group of women would form one body that comes undone little by little. Nisrin Erradi, who plays Hasna, is a force of nature, her impertinence and anger carry the film, while Hind Braik injects humor and lightness. Hajar Graigaa’s face recalls the actresses from the silent movie era and Fatima Attif represents the “old guard.” All of these women have strong presences with facial expressions that tell their own story.
What made you want to be a director? What are your influences?
As a child in Casablanca, my uncle was a distributor and screened 35 mm movies on Sunday afternoons. I was fascinated by the projected image. Cinema allowed me to escape and discover the world. I have many influences, including the new Hollywood, Cassavetes, Pasolini, Forman, Egyptian cinema from the 1960s, and soap operas that I watched on television.
Can you tell us about your next project?
It will be a documentary about my mother who’s Morocco’s bridge champion. I accompanied her to Saudi Arabia for the first Pan Arab tournament. The idea is to keep following her and her team mates throughout the world, to film their bond, watch them play, listen to them discuss the tricks and their lives. And create a space for discussion with my mother like we’ve never had before.
