On January 29, 2026, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Republic of Bulgaria presented,
within the framework of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival, the Moroccan film "Fez Summer '55."
The House of Cinema in Sofia, where the event took place, was filled to capacity with lovers of the seventh art. Addressing them, H. E. Ms. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to Bulgaria, delivered a welcome speech in which she highlighted the role of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival as a space for encounters, reflection, and dialogue between cultures and peoples. She recalled the importance of cinema as a privileged medium for conveying memory and human experience, as well as its ability to affirm, beyond national contexts, universal values such as freedom, dignity, and hope.
The Moroccan ambassador also emphasized that this dynamic aligns with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who places culture, art, and creativity at the heart of the Kingdom's influence, as essential drivers of dialogue, openness, and rapprochement between nations and peoples.
The film "Fez Summer '55," released in 2024 and directed by Abdelhai Laraki, captivated the audience with its understated style and insightful perspective. The film transports the viewer to the city of Fez in the summer of 1955, on the eve of the Kingdom's independence, and chooses to recount this pivotal period through the eyes of an eleven-year-old boy, offering an intimate and sensitive portrayal of a society in transition, marked by unspoken tensions, shared hopes, and profound dignity. Its storytelling approach is both understated and universal.
The selection of the film is in line with the mission of the Sofia MENAR Film Festival to offer an open and pluralistic program that brings into dialogue - beyond geographical and cultural boundaries - cinematic works of depth and substance. It is no coincidence that its screening attracted a large audience, including ambassadors, representatives of Bulgarian institutions, members of academic and cultural circles, media professionals, film industry specialists, and lovers of the seventh art.
Before the screening of the film "Fez Summer ’55," the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco hosted a cocktail reception for the guests who came to honor Moroccan cinema at the House of Cinema. Accompanied by the sounds of Moroccan "Melhoun" music, they enjoyed mint tea, soft drinks, Moroccan sweets, and savory bites.
Photo: Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Republic of Bulgaria. In the picture: H. E. Mrs. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco to Bulgaria, with her fellow ambassadors before the screening of "Fez Summer ’55."
