Fest Takes On Added Relevance; Irons Attends
by Charles Masters, The Hollywood Reporter
October 2, 2001
DATELINE: MARRAKECH, Morocco
Despite the last-minute cancellation of invites from America, the first edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival made a valiant bow Friday, with a strong European turnout determined to support the event as a symbol of cultural openness.
The festival kicked off with a world premiere of Youssef Chahine's playful musical "Silence on tourne" (Silence, We're Rolling), which played to a packed house in the city's Palais des Congres. Attendees then moved on to a black-tie dinner for some 900 guests hosted by King Mohammed VI, patron of the festival, in the magnificent setting of the Royal Palace.
But beyond the glamour and exoticism, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and their consequences on relations between the United States and the Arab/Muslim world have been at the forefront of discussions in Marrakech. Many participants observed that a festival designed to foster exchange between diverse cultures is all the more relevant in the current world climate.
Jury members Patricia Arquette, Matt Dillon and John Malkovich were among those who canceled in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. British director John Boorman also dropped out, although an homage in his honor was maintained.
The only Anglo-Saxon celebrities to make the trip were jury president Charlotte Rampling and Jeremy Irons, both of whom said their presence was symbolic. "It's understandable that (the Americans) withdrew given the mourning that America is in," said Rampling. "But for me, today it's more important than ever to demonstrate solidarity and not shun an Arab country."
The largest foreign contingent by far was French - hardly surprising given the historical and linguistic links between Morocco and France.
Among Gallic industry figures in attendance were directors Claude Lelouch, who received a tribute; Claude Miller, whose film "Betty Fisher et autres histoires" unspooled; and Patrice Chereau, who made the trip from Paris just to be present on the opening night.
Egyptian actor Omar Sharif received a tribute Monday evening, ahead of a screening of "Lawrence of Arabia," which was partially shot in Morocco.
A giant screen has been set up in the city's famous Yema El Fna square, where organizers will project daily highlights of the event and clips of movies recently filmed in Morocco, such as Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" and Claude Lelouch's "And Now Ladies and Gentlemen" in which Irons stars.
Morocco has been the site of choice for a number of Hollywood productions, including Orson Welles' "Othello"; "Lawrence of Arabia", by David Lean; "The Man Who Knew Too Much", by Alfred Hitchcock; John Huston's "The Man Who Would be King" and "The Last Temptation of Christ" by Martin Scorcese.
The Marrakech festival, which winds up today, is intended as a platform to launch foreign films in the struggling Moroccan market, and at the same time aims to stimulate local production.
"A generation of young producers, directors and screenwriters has emerged in the past few years, and the idea is that this will give them a helping hand," said Andre Azoulay, adviser to King Mohammed.