Families of the 'Martyrs of Comera' Protest Director Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, Claiming Betrayal and Exploitation
Families of the 'Martyrs of Comera' Protest Director Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, Claiming Betrayal and Exploitation
The drama in Morocco continues, this time in the world of Moroccan cinema, where director Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies is at the center of accusations of betrayal and exploitation. Below is the full translation of the article published by the well-known Moroccan media outlet H News
H News has learned that a protest took place this evening (Monday) in front of the Palais des Arts during the 24th edition of the Tangier National Film Festival. The protest was led by the children and families of the so-called “Martyrs of Comera,” who claim they were subjected to a “black lie” by director Asmae El Moudir.
According to testimonies from some family members of the victims of the 1981 events, many of them were subjected to “fraud and deception” by Asmae El Moudir, the director of the documentary White Lie (officially titled The Mother of All Lies in English), which explores the 1981 Moroccan riots. These riots, commonly known as the Casablanca bread riots, broke out on May 29, 1981, in Casablanca—a significant event during the Years of Lead under the rule of Hassan II of Morocco. The revolt was driven by sharp increases in the prices of basic food supplies, particularly bread.
The families claim that El Moudir presented herself as a journalist investigating the protests that took place in Casablanca, with the stated intention of reviving the issue of the bread riots. She reportedly portrayed herself as someone fighting to protect the victims' rights in this sensitive case, which led them to welcome her into their homes and share their stories and secrets. However, they later discovered that she had “deceived them” and was, in fact, a filmmaker who used their case to create a movie that garnered numerous awards and substantial support.
El Moudir's White Lie (officially The Mother of All Lies), which centers on the events of 1981 in Casablanca, received one million dirhams in support from the Moroccan Film Center (as an advance on post-production revenues) through her company, Insight Films. It also secured funding from 22 international sources and won prestigious awards at several international festivals, including Cannes.
By Simo Ben (Simo Benbachir)
