The Blue Caftan is not only one of the greatest Moroccan films of all time, it is a film that means a lot to me. A few years ago, when frustrated with the lack of Arab representation on the big screen, I launched my own Arab film festival in London called Fhamtini. For the first edition in 2023, I had the pleasure of hosting the UK premiere of Maryam Touzani’s film, followed by a Q&A at the Prince Charles Cinema. Witnessing the reaction of a wide and diverse audience made me realise that these kinds of stories matter and need to be seen, not only by us, but by us all. It represented a rare connection to my culture: from hearing Darija in the heart of Soho and seeing the colours and beauty of the caftans on screen, to the portrayal of raw, honest, messy and tender Arab love. The queer moments, quiet and beautifully intimate, are portrayed with acceptance and love, evading the simplified and stereotypical Western lens where all Arab men are violent and misogynistic, and Arab women repressed and submissive. As Touzani reminds us, it is “above all a film about love, about the freedom to be who you are, to love who you want to love.” — IMANE LAMIME