Morocco’s ‘The Mother Of All Lies’ Nabs Top Prize At Sydney Film Festival
For a while now, Moroccan director Asmae El Moudir has been making waves at the international film festivals circuit with her powerful documentary ‘The Mother Of All Lies’ (Kadib Abyad). Just this Sunday, she clinched the renowned Sydney Film Prize at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival. Her victory was announced during the closing night of the festival where the documentary was crowned the official competition winner, nabbing a cash prize of $60,000.
Generating wide acclaim for being cutting-edge and courageous, the film explores a topic that has always been masked from the public, that of the 1981 riots in Casablanca. That time period is explored through a series of interviews and interactions with the director’s family and former neighbors, depicted through the use of handmade figurines, each recalling their memory of the riots. It is said that 77 people were shot and killed during the riots that were held over the rising price of bread.
Carrying such a heavy theme and a story that took El Moudir 10 years to bring into conception, ‘The Mother Of All Lies’ is considered an exceptional form of filmmaking that nabbed major awards. Beyond the Sydney Film Prize during the premiere of the documentary at the Un Certain Regard at Cannes, El Moudir won the award for best director.
