RCB Film Club: Rock the Casbah

Directed by Laila Marrakchi

Running time : 1 Hr. 40 Mins

Subtitles : English

Date and Time : Sat 25 June at 4 p.m.

Venue: RCB Forum on 2nd floor

Buy Ticket here

Kind Courtesy:  Embassy of Morocco

This vibrant social comedy offers a close look at upper-class Moroccan society, in the lush beach-town of Tangier, where the family of Al-Hassan meet at their luxurious villa, for a three-day ‘wake’ to mourn his death.

While the main theme is death, the drama is studded with humor, irony, unexpected truths, unmentionable confessions, all of which keep the film sizzling with energy until the very end.

In an expansive, women-oriented film, well-known female Director Laila Marrakchi has a celebrated cast of brilliant actresses to play the chief protagonists of the story. Each of them has their doubts and turmoil, which come out in the open, when they meet for the ‘wake’ of their father. 

The male lead is played delightfully by none other than the late, great Omar Sharif, in one of his last cinematic roles.

The clash between Eastern and Western cultures which in many ways is symptomatic of the Moroccan way of life is laid bare in the film, where one sister opts to live in Hollywood while two others chafe under the restrictions imposed on them. There is also an all-seeing grandmother, and an all-understanding maid, who add to the diverse female perspective in the film.

A bunch of perky kids represent the newer generation. A young and handsome male character is a surprise element, whose story shakes all the women, and reiterates the unfair male-female equation in the country.

The title of the film is based on a hit song by an English punk rock band of 1982, which suggests that one needs to do what one thinks is right, even if others say otherwise. This, in essence, is what the women of the film fight hard to do, as they are caught in between their eastern roots and westernized upbringing.  In fact, their dilemma is typical of what most women face in contemporary Arab society.

The film created waves at film festivals from Dubai to Toronto and Washington. It was released in Australia and other countries and was very well-received by the critics and audiences.

What the Critics Said:

Sydney Morning Herald: To a degree the film becomes a symposium on the place of women in the Arab world.

Variety:  Despite its familiarity, Marrakchi’s family drama is consistently engaging and frequently amusing.

Hollywood Reporter: The comedy plays fairly broadly and never dominates the scenario that has something deeper at its core.

flicks.co.nz: A delightful blend of chick-flick, rom-com, and family melodrama.

The Ambassador of His Majesty the King of Morocco HE Mr. Abderrahim RAHHALY will introduce the film and host a Reception after the screening.

Don’t Miss RCB Film Club’s vibrant Film of June 2022!

Covid Instructions:

*All covid instructions must be strictly followed.

* Masks are necessary throughout the film-screening.

* Vaccination-Certificates must be carried.

* Hand-Sanitizer will be provided at the entrance.

* If you feel unwell, please do not attend the screening.

* If anyone tests Positive to Covid, after attending the film-screening, please inform RCB immediately, as this concerns the safety of all in attendance.

* Due to Social Distancing, seating is limited, so kindly book early.

*River City Bangkok is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with strict preventive measures against Covid-19 and limitation of visitors inside RCB Forum.