Maryam Touzani’s feature directorial debut, “Adam,” is heading stateside. U.S. rights to the Cannes pic, and Morocco’s selection for the International Feature Oscar, have been acquired by Strand Releasing. Variety broke the news.
Written by Touzani in collaboration with producer Nabil Ayouch, “Adam” is the story of a Casablanca baker, her eight-year-old daughter, and the young pregnant woman who changes their lives.
The film premiered this year in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and has since screened at other fests such as TIFF and Zurich Film Festival. The drama won Chicago International Film Fest’s New Directors Competition as well as Philadelphia Film Fest’s Archie Award for Best First Feature.
“‘Adam’ is a film anchored in a social context and reality that seem far away,” said Touzani. “But for me, it is a story that speaks of that which is human in each and every one of us, that which brings us together, regardless of the place we come from.” She continued, “Feeling this link, this bond, through the contact with the audience as I’ve been traveling with my film has been a beautiful emotion.”
“We are thrilled to have Maryam’s film,” stated Marcus Hu, the co-president of Strand Releasing. “It is filled with genuine warmth and speaks volumes about the universality of women’s issues.”
No word on a U.S. release date yet, but “Adam” opens February 29 in France.
An International Feature shortlist will be announced on December 16 and Oscar nominations will be revealed January 13. The ceremony is slated for February 9.
Touzani previously wrote and directed shorts “Aya Goes to the Beach” and “Quand ils dorment.” She co-wrote and acted in “Razzia,” a feature helmed by Ayouch.
When we asked Touzani what she wants the audience to think about after seeing “Adam,” she said, “That there is no right or wrong. That it is not always easy to be courageous, and that desperate situations can sometimes lead to desperate acts. But, that deep inside, there is always hope and beauty, though sometimes it can reveal itself in the most unexpected manner. That we can constantly be reborn to life.”
