Loubna Abidar, Moroccan Actress, Finds Fame Tinged With Fury
The Saturday Profile
By AIDA ALAMI FEB. 12, 2016
PARIS — THE first indication the actress Loubna Abidar had that her life was about to change was on the flight home to Morocco after the premiere of the movie “Much Loved,” in which she plays a prostitute. She was shocked when a flight attendant told her she was “a disgrace for Morocco and Moroccan women.”
Ten months later, Ms. Abidar, 30, is still a celebrity in her homeland, albeit an infamous one who is now in exile. She has received hundreds of hate messages and threats on social media. She is also poised to earn France’s top honor in film — a César — this month.
“People are scared of the truth,” she said, referring to the angry reactions in Morocco to “Much Loved,” which depicts the crude realities of prostitution there. “We shouldn’t be a country that is scared of art. I want the Moroccan woman to wake up.”
Ms. Abidar’s troubles began in May when “Much Loved,” directed by Nabil Ayouch, had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Until then, Ms. Abidar had appeared only in small theater roles, television programs and a couple of unremarkable feature films. By the time she boarded that flight home to Morocco, a trailer had gained traction on the Internet.
The trailer and other video excerpts, which generated hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, showed Ms. Abidar and three other actors portraying prostitutes partying, cursing and behaving lewdly with clients in Marrakesh. Many accused the movie of perpetuating a cliché that hurts the image of Moroccan women in general.
But those clips gave viewers entirely the wrong message, Ms. Abidar said. “This film isn’t just about prostitution,” she said. “It’s a portrait of four women, and it talks about many of the ills of our country, like corruption and the fact that tourists sexually exploit our women and children.”
The Communication Ministry of Morocco was swift to react to the movie’s premiere. It banned the film, saying that it undermined “the moral values and dignity of Moroccan women as well as the image of Morocco.”
Ms. Abidar said she thought the anger would pass. She stayed in Morocco despite the threats, wearing a niqab — a head scarf that covers the face and leaves an opening for the eyes — in an effort to avoid being recognized. In November, though, she let her guard down. Thinking she would be safe after winning prizes for best actress at film festivals in Namur, Belgium, and in Angoulême, France, she ventured out uncovered. Three drunken men brutally attacked her, she said, and she backed up the claim by posting a video showing heavy bruising on her face.
“All I did wrong was star in a movie you haven’t even seen,” she says in the video.
(... a suivre...)
The Saturday Profile
By AIDA ALAMI FEB. 12, 2016
PARIS — THE first indication the actress Loubna Abidar had that her life was about to change was on the flight home to Morocco after the premiere of the movie “Much Loved,” in which she plays a prostitute. She was shocked when a flight attendant told her she was “a disgrace for Morocco and Moroccan women.”
Ten months later, Ms. Abidar, 30, is still a celebrity in her homeland, albeit an infamous one who is now in exile. She has received hundreds of hate messages and threats on social media. She is also poised to earn France’s top honor in film — a César — this month.
“People are scared of the truth,” she said, referring to the angry reactions in Morocco to “Much Loved,” which depicts the crude realities of prostitution there. “We shouldn’t be a country that is scared of art. I want the Moroccan woman to wake up.”
Ms. Abidar’s troubles began in May when “Much Loved,” directed by Nabil Ayouch, had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Until then, Ms. Abidar had appeared only in small theater roles, television programs and a couple of unremarkable feature films. By the time she boarded that flight home to Morocco, a trailer had gained traction on the Internet.
The trailer and other video excerpts, which generated hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, showed Ms. Abidar and three other actors portraying prostitutes partying, cursing and behaving lewdly with clients in Marrakesh. Many accused the movie of perpetuating a cliché that hurts the image of Moroccan women in general.
But those clips gave viewers entirely the wrong message, Ms. Abidar said. “This film isn’t just about prostitution,” she said. “It’s a portrait of four women, and it talks about many of the ills of our country, like corruption and the fact that tourists sexually exploit our women and children.”
The Communication Ministry of Morocco was swift to react to the movie’s premiere. It banned the film, saying that it undermined “the moral values and dignity of Moroccan women as well as the image of Morocco.”
Ms. Abidar said she thought the anger would pass. She stayed in Morocco despite the threats, wearing a niqab — a head scarf that covers the face and leaves an opening for the eyes — in an effort to avoid being recognized. In November, though, she let her guard down. Thinking she would be safe after winning prizes for best actress at film festivals in Namur, Belgium, and in Angoulême, France, she ventured out uncovered. Three drunken men brutally attacked her, she said, and she backed up the claim by posting a video showing heavy bruising on her face.
“All I did wrong was star in a movie you haven’t even seen,” she says in the video.
(... a suivre...)
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