Dir/Wri: Sofia Alaoui | Cast: Oumaïma Barid, Mehdi Dehbi, Fouad Oughaou | Sci-fi Morocco 91′ 2025
In her impressive debut Animalia Moroccan-French filmmaker Sofia Alaoui tells the story of a young woman and her intriguing voyage of self-discovery annd emotional awareness.
Animalia is a sensuous sci-fi drama that subverts the genre delicately using the surreal to delving into spirituality, religion and female emancipation for Itto, played by newcomer Oumaima Barid.
Married into a well-to-do upper class Moroccan family this modest Berber woman is used to being surrounded by her warm but humble family network. Itto has abandoned her head-covering, signifying her more cosmopolitan status, but she is by no means free, confined to the limits of her new family’s remote estate.
With a nosey but aloof mother-in-law, she naturally feels repressed, emotionally and physically, her only source of female support is the kitchen staff. But matters come to a head when a mysterious supernatural event rocks their world, and the country is forced into a state of emergency. Itto is suddenly separated from her new husband Amine (Mehdi Dehbi).
This is no melodramatic disaster movie but instead Alouai underpins her narrative with insightful social commentary opting for a nuanced and surreal foray into the unknown and totally alien landscape.
Itto struggles through the stricken countryside where she comes across another Berber Fouad (Fouad Oughaou), who helps her along the way. And as they journey through the misty mountainsides where flora and fauna is strangely transformed Alouai leaves a lot to our imagination blending reality with otherworldly in this supernatural setting. And instead of this bizarre breakdown leading to the end of time, Alaoui offers a hopeful outcome through spiritual reawakening @Meredith Taylor
Premiering at Sundance 2023, the festival awarded Alaoui a Special Jury Prize for her creative vision.
IN UK and EIRE FROM 12 DECEMBER 2025