The Blue caftan

Halim and his wife Mina own a caftan shop in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas.  A stoic master of his craft, Halim sews and embroiders his dazzling hand-made caftans in a disappearing tradition inherited from his father, while Mina runs the business side.  The couple take on a shy young man, Youssef, to assist Halim and, together, the two men work on what promised to be Halim’s masterpiece: a glorious blue caftan with intricate gold-patterned trim.

“The subtleties of Touzani’s actors – their glances, gestures and silences – bring to life the mysteries of the human heart with deft restraint and at the centre of it all is the sincere connection between Halim and Mina. …The Blue Caftan is a film that venerates the tradition of craft while arguing that true freedom also requires a break with a repressive status quo.” BFI

Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022

Shortlisted as Morocco’s entry for Best International Film at the 96^th Academy Awards (2023)