Les pierres bleues du désert

Najib is a boy who lives with his family in a very isolated village in Morocco. Although he never has taken any trips, he has a recurring obsession the blue stones of the desert. This vision has been enchanting him ever since he was very young and forces him into a kind of psychic isolation that frightens those around him. He is prisoner of that village with its archaic mentality that leaves little room for tolerance. Najib quickly feels rejected. A kind of mutual misunderstanding grows on both sides. There are few people like Touria, his mother, and Hicham, his brother, who still give him support and trust. In spite of the nasty remarks and the warnings of the people in the village, lead by his own father, Najib goes off alone towards his destiny and his searching will lead him to his rebirth.

"You have to struggle incessantly against what is established. They often make us believe things that are pawned off as true without any other choice. The problem is that those who hold power are never those who possess wisdom or, much less, the truth. The only way to keep on living is to look and hold ourselves and those around us in doubt, a free people, following our conscience." (Nabil Ayouch)

Director and screenplay: Nabil Ayouch.
Director of photography: Vincent Jeannot.
Art director: Mustapha Tabit.
Editor: Albert Caporossi.
Music: JeanPhilippe Rykiel.
Sound: Mathieu Imbert.
Cast: Naima El Mcherqui, Benbrahim, Jamel Debbouze, Omar Chenbot, Souad Saber, SalahEddine Benmoussa, Daris.
Director of Production: Hassan Alaoui.
Production company: SHEM'S, 162 Bd. d'Anfa, Casablanca, Marocco, 212391283, fax 212391352.
Foreign sales agent: Nabil Ayouch, 13 rue de Toul, 75012 Paris, Francia, tel. +3344739441, fax +3344739442.