Sofia

Wisconsin Premiere • narrative • Qatar,France • 2018 • DCP • Arabic,French with English subtitles • 80 MIN

section: New Women Directors, New International Cinema

At a dinner party in her parents’ Casablanca home, 20-year-old Sofia suddenly buckles over in pain. Her med-student cousin Lena is first to realize what is wrong: Sofia has gone into labor without knowing she's pregnant. Mindful of the conservative generation gathered in the next room, Lena discretely ferries Sofia off to a hospital. But once the baby is delivered, their troubles have only begun. In Morocco, pre-marital sex is a criminal offense, and Sofia must locate the father or risk prosecution. That night, the two women venture into the Casablanca slums in search of a man Sofia barely knows. When the families finally meet to discuss the terms of a potential marriage, Sofia's camerawork and tone shift from handheld and urgent to locked-down and incisive. Writer/director Meryem Benm'Barek's taut social drama won a Best Screenplay award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, the first of many prizes it's picked up since. FIPRESCI Prize, 2018 Thessaloniki Film Festival. New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize, 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival. (MK)