Discovering the hidden history of the bread riots in Casablanca in June 1981, violently repressed by the authoritarian regime of Hassan II, is a captivating emotional and visual journey, thanks to the film “The Mother of All Lies” by Asmae El Grind. Rewarded for her formal audacity, the Moroccan director was able to renew the narrative using a unique cinematographic device, mixing documentary reality and fictional poetry.
The film’s original title, “Kadib Abyad”, translated into French as “The Mother of All Lies”, offers a subtle duality between Arab and French cultures. Asmae El Moudir’s artistic approach mixes with a personal quest, that of unraveling the secrets and mysteries through a found photo, initiating a daring and moving investigation.
By giving voice to characters frozen in clay figurines, the director manages to weave links between the personal and the irrational, thus offering a new narrative form, hybrid and captivating. This introspective journey reveals a dark period in Moroccan history, while highlighting the resilience and quest for truth of the protagonists.
Through this poignant story, Asmae El Moudir invites spectators to revisit the past, to break the silence and to face the truth, in a free and surprising artistic form. “The Mother of All Lies” offers a unique look at tragic events, transforming the unspeakable into a powerful and moving work of cinema.
By exploring the shadows of the past and reviving buried memories, Asmae El Moudir’s film questions our relationship with History and our ability to face the truth. A striking artistic work, which resonates beyond borders, inviting everyone to reflect on collective memory and the importance of making the voices of the past resonate.