Under the lights of the Marrakech International Film Festival, Meryem Benm’Barek occupied a singular position. This year, she was the only Moroccan director selected in the official competition, a distinction that carried both symbolic weight and quiet authority. With Behind the Palm Trees making its world premiere on home soil, Benm’Barek’s presence felt less like a debut and more like a return.
Seven years in the making, Behind the Palm Trees is a film shaped by deliberate choices and an unflinching refusal to compromise. Political without rhetoric and intimate without concession, it reflects a filmmaker deeply attuned to the rhythms of silence, the textures of Moroccan life, and the tensions that lie beneath the surface.
Benm’Barek reflected on the long road to bringing the film to life, the significance of premiering in Marrakech, and her enduring commitment to telling stories rooted in Morocco while speaking unmistakably to the world.
AM: How do you feel about your film being in the official competition at the Marrakech Film Festival?
Meryem Benm’Barek: I already feel like I’ve won, because I was able to make the film I truly wanted to make, without any compromises. I’m extremely proud of this film, which took seven years to complete. It’s a radical, political work, and films like this are becoming increasingly difficult to finance today.
AM: How was the film supported by the Atlas Workshops?
Meryem Benm’Barek: Atlas has supported the film since the development stage. I was also selected for their post-production support last year, at a moment when we were really struggling to finalize the budget. Their backing was crucial in allowing us to complete the film.
AM: Silence plays an important role in your work. Can you tell us more about its place in your films?
Meryem Benm’Barek: I love silence. That’s where truth reveals itself, where you can truly read people’s souls, without distraction or chatter. Even though I’m very talkative in real life, I work closely with the actors to help them embrace long silences on set. It’s an essential part of the film’s rhythm.
Meryem Benm’Barek: Not really. It was an intense but deeply collaborative shoot. Everyone was fully invested and worked with heart to take the film as far as possible. It was actually much calmer than my first film, which I made while having a one-year-old baby.
AM: You often root your films in Moroccan culture while giving them universal resonance. Why is that important to you?
Meryem Benm’Barek: Choosing to make my films in Morocco is a commitment. My country is incredibly rich and complex, and that complexity fascinates me. My most powerful life experiences have taken place here, so it feels natural for my ideas to emerge from this context.
AM: What’s next for the film in terms of release?
Meryem Benm’Barek: Pyramide will release the film in France on April 1st, and the Moroccan release should follow shortly afterward. As the film has just premiered, I don’t have many other details yet.
AM: What are you working on next?
Meryem Benm’Barek: I’m currently writing two new projects: another feature film with the same producer, and an ambitious international TV series that will shoot across several cities, including Los Angeles, London, Marrakech, Tangier, Marseille, and Paris. I’m very interested in continuing to explore Morocco’s relationship with the world.