23/02/2025
Greetings Film Lovers, join us this Wednesday 26th at 6pm at the Len Lye Cinema for the incredible 'The Blue Caftan'
The Blue Caftan
Le bleu du caftan
Maryam Touzani • France/Morocco/Belgium/Denmark • 2022
117 mins • HD • M nudity & s*x scenes
In Arabic with English subtitles
A master tailor’s wife watches as her closeted husband falls in love with his apprentice. Maryam Touzani’s sensuous feature is as elegant and finely crafted as the beautiful garments in her film.
“A rich, vibrant ode to love in all its many forms” – Playlist
REVIEW
“Set in the medina of a small Moroccan town and built around an emotional triangle between a middle-aged couple and a younger man that subverts expectations, Maryam Touzani’s superbly acted and deeply resonant drama is as impeccably crafted as the exquisite eponymous caftan tailored by its protagonist.
Business is hardly booming in the small garment shop run by Mina and her husband Halim. The bespoke cutting and artistic embroidery that Halim, a master tailor, specialises in requires hours of work and is therefore expensive. It is also slow and clients grow impatient. Despite former apprentices failing to meet Halim’s exacting standards, he hopes that Youssef, a new recruit, will show more dedication to this increasingly unfashionable art. Youssef’s presence initially perturbs, for Halim's true s*xuality is hidden and although Mina is aware of her husband’s secret life, the attraction between Halim and Youssef upsets their long-established, supportive marital equilibrium. But, as the couple confront Mina’s ill-health, emotional dynamics deepen and all three grow to rely on each other more and more.”
– Sandra Reid, New Zealand International Film Festival 2022
“Anchored by three remarkable performances and a beautiful script that never wastes a line, Maryam Touzani‘s film… oozes love from almost every frame.”
– Christian Zilko, Indiewire
