Much Loved (2015)

Much Loved is a 2015 French-Moroccan drama film directed by Nabil Ayouch about the prostitution scene in Marrakesh. It was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. The film has been banned in Morocco for its "contempt for moral values and the Moroccan woman". It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.

It is one of the first film to address the issue of prostitution in Morocco. Telling the lives of four female sex workers, it brings to the forefront the exploitation of prostitutes by pimps and the corruption of the police, that sometimes even profits from the trade. The film stirred a national debate before it was released when a few video clips was leaked on the web. Thereafter, the lead actress received death threats and religious authorities condemned the film for portraying a negative image of Morocco, with its supporting of extramarital sex and sympathy for the homosexuals.

Synopsis

À l'époque actuelle, Noha, Randa, Soukaina et Hlima vivent d’amours tarifés à Marrakech. Objets de désirs inavoués dans la société marocaine, elles décrivent à l'aide du langage de la prostitution leur vie de tous les jours, allant des pseudos relations amoureuses avec des Européens à la prostitution institutionnalisée avec les Saoudiens, en passant par la corruption policière sans masquer les problèmes sociétaux comme les relations familiales où l'argent remplace l'amour filial. Tantôt joyeuses et complices mais aussi tristes et rejetées, elles pointent du doigt cette société qui les utilise et les avilit.

Actors