Movies that discuss important social issues, and science fiction movies usually do not cross paths. But, Moroccan writer-director Sofia Alaoui does an incredible job of weaving both flawlessly and effortlessly in her feature debut Animalia.
Itta, played by the talented Oumaïma Barid, is a happily married and heavily pregnant women. As her husband and her not-so-nice mother in law leave for a business meeting, she prepares for a relaxing day. But, her day turns up side down when phones stop working and a mysterious fog and sweeps Moroccan landscapes. People and animals are behaving strangely. She catches a ride with a neighbor to meet her husband, where he abandons her in an eerily silent village. The village’s inhabitants are speaking strangely. Through her journey into the unknown, Into questions her morals, values, and privilege.
Supernatural is a common theme for Alaoui to tell stories. She is able to craft a visual and conceptual story that gives her characters the space to discuss and confront vital issues. The tension is extremely well paced. In Animalia, she does not explain the nature of the apocalypse. She just invites the audience into to see for themselves and imagine the forces behind the disaster. Also, the film highlights the gender division in Morocco. She is a woman expecting a child and trying her best to survive in an almost exclusively male environment.
Animalia uses the framework of the science-fiction genre to explore the issues of Modern Moroccan society. Itta comes from a poor background and married into an extremely wealthy family, who treats her like a second class citizen. In the film, Itta switches between Berber, Arabic and French, but she rarely speaks Berber to hide her lower-class background.
The actors in the film do a phenomenal job at conveying the emotion and delivering their lines. Barid grabs the audience by the heart and creates a instant bond between her and the viewer. Amine Itta’s husband, played by Mehdi Dehbi, is able to play the loyal loving husband and the classist arrogant rich man simultaneously. Fouad Oughaou plays a hotel employee who helps Itta reach Amine. He is able to deliver an intense performance effortlessly. He is the personification of the good of the Moroccan people.
