Muscat

Muscat was inspired by a family story told to me by my grandmother. The ending of the film is based on the heartbreaking travel story of her distant cousin. Captivated by this story with great narrative and cinematic potential, I began the script by writing it first from the point of view of this cousin and her husband, victims of incommunicability in an emergency situation abroad. To propel the plot even further, I found it necessary to tell this story through the eyes of a fictional character, closer to me and to the social issues that affect me. The incommunicability of Quebec tourists inspired me to write about the tribulations of a homosexual teenager, unable to communicate openly with his family. This character quickly guided my writing and Samir became the protagonist of Muscat. I came out as gay in my early twenties, late compared to most of my gay friends. I have uncomfortable, difficult memories of this turning point; I can’t imagine making this admission in a conservative country where homosexuality is taboo, even criminalized. This is unfortunately a reality in more than 70 countries, which still criminalize consensual homosexual relations. In Morocco, homosexuality still divides public opinion and remains punishable by six months to three years in prison, according to the penal code. This confronting reality inevitably touches and upsets me; I feel privileged to live in a country where I am free to love whoever I want and to be able to bring this story to the screen. It is necessary to talk about these issues and to continue to defend the rights of people from the 2SLGTBQIA+ community. Sensitive to the idea of telling a story based in a country that is not my own, I refined the script following several discussions with Moroccans who spoke to me about their homosexuality and how they experienced their coming-out. Muscat is a film about incommunicability, resilience, taboos and sexual awakening. Samir must lie to himself and to others to survive. The meeting between Samir and Louis is decisive: like a storm in his heart and body, Samir experiences strong feelings that are impossible to ignore. His attraction to Louis will push Samir to reveal a truth that has been deeply repressed until now.