"Mayfrand"... Yassar celebrates Eid with a "Clean" family film

Comedian Yassar is preparing to release his new film, "Maifrande," during Eid al-Fitr. The film markets itself as "halal" and "100% family-friendly," in line with a phenomenon that has come to dominate Moroccan film production.

Halal: Between Creativity and Cleanliness Standards This new "fashion" raises questions about the standards by which films are evaluated, with the focus now on their "cleanliness" rather than their artistic quality and cinematic narrative.

This shift may be a factor in the decline of creativity, as cinema is restricted within certain moral frameworks, far removed from its true essence of art and experimentation.

Comedy dominance at the expense of cinematic diversity In addition to family films, Moroccan cinema is witnessing a widespread proliferation of comedies that rely primarily on slapstick, promoted by well-known comedians to ensure audience appeal. This commercial success has prompted filmmakers, including director Raouf Sabahi, to shift their focus toward this genre, seeking to make quick profits and ensure their films are screened longer in theaters. However, despite its popular success, this trend has limited the opportunities for the emergence of other cinematic genres, negatively impacting the diversity of the Moroccan cinematic scene.

The intersection of cinema and the world of sitcoms The film "Mayfrand" features a number of prominent television personalities, such as Israa Ben Karara (known as Souhlifa), Abdelilah Ajel, and Tariq Bukhari, reflecting a phenomenon that has taken root in Moroccan cinema: the overlap between cinema and sitcoms. It has become difficult for viewers to distinguish between a film production and a television production, especially with the repetition of the same actors and light-hearted comedic styles. This trend is causing cinema to lose its uniqueness as an independent art form, turning it into a mere extension of what is shown on the small screen, in the absence of cinematic works with a profound artistic vision.