Moroccan actor Mohamed Khouyi won the Best Actor award on Friday for his role in the feature film Marja Zarqa (Blue Lagoon), directed by Daoud Oulad Al-Sayed, in the “Horizons of Arab Cinema” section at the 45th Cairo International Film Festival.
Marja Zarqa tells the story of Youssef, a blind 12-year-old orphan who lives with his grandfather in a remote desert village. One day, his grandfather gifts him a camera, and Youssef begins filming everything around him, leading to a journey toward the blue lagoon in the desert.
The 85-minute film includes Moroccan actors, including Hasna Tamtaoui, Youssef Kadir, Azelarab Kaghat, and Abdelhak Saleh. Moroccan television and film producer Abdessalam El Meftahi accepted the award on behalf of Khouyi.
Other Moroccan works also participated in different sections and programs, such as “Radia,” directed by Khaoula Assebab Benomar, which competed in the “International Critics’ Week,” where Moroccan actress Nisrine Radi was a jury member, while “Ana Machi Ana” (I’m Not Me), directed by Hicham El Jabbari, was screened in the Special Screenings program.
The Moroccan film “Al-Matroud Min Rahmat Allah” (Exiled from God’s Mercy) by director Hicham Al-Assri was also featured at the 10th Cairo Cinematic Forum.
The Romanian feature “This New Year That Never Came” by director Bogdan Mureşanu claimed the Golden Pyramid for Best Film. The 45th Cairo International Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events in the Arab and African film worlds, screened 194 films from 72 countries.