PARMI NOUS

“This film is about both the end of the world and the birth of a new one, about the end of Itto and the birth of a new Itto, one who is more connected to her environment. In the film, the birth of her child signifies hope for rebuilding our societies, through education, through different modes of thinking than those we have today. Because there is a great deal of criticism of our ways of life, but what is the solution? Future generations represent an opportunity for change. This is also why the ‘Aliens’ who are embodied in several characters during the film seem to be protecting Itto: because her pregnancy is a sign of hope.” (Sofia Alaoui)

Born in Casablanca to a Moroccan father and a French mother, Sofia Alaoui grew up between Morocco and China. After graduating high school in Casablanca, she moved to Paris to study cinema. In 2017, she returned to Morocco to develop her own production company, Jiango Films. She has directed both documentary and fiction shorts that have been selected at many festivals. Her last film, So What If the Goats Die was shot in the Atlas Mountains, featuring non-professional actors and dialogue exclusively in Tamazight. It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, and the César for best short fiction film in 2021. Animalia is her first feature film.