Marock (2005)

Ramadan 1997 in Casablanca: as her literary baccalaureate exams approach, Rita Belghiti and her friends from Casablanca’s bourgeoisie amuse themselves by flouting the rules of Muslim society. Any kind of misbehavior is fair game: sometimes it means parties and hands on the maids’ bottoms; other times, rolling joints in the bathroom between drinks. Rita attends Lycée Lyautey, a school for Casablanca’s upper classes. The film’s “golden youth” setting is palpable: the scenery, the car races, Rita’s enormous house... As her brother Mao (Mohammed), who seems to have grown closer to religion, returns from London for Ramadan, Rita falls for Youri one evening when their eyes meet. He is a Moroccan Jew. Rita makes a promise with her friends: she and Youri will have it all wrapped up before the end of Ramadan. She keeps her promise on Rita’s rooftop. What follows is all the debauchery most often associated with youth, but also pure, unique, and ultimately rare moments that Rita and Youri share. Marock is not just a drama or a coming-of-age story; it is the story of an entire generation, the youth of a whole lifetime. Marock ultimately left its mark on Casablanca’s golden youth of the 2000s and continues to resonate with young people today. A true social phenomenon.