Everybody Loves Touda
New York African Film Festival 2025
May 7 - 13, 2025
Touda dreams of becoming a Sheikha—a respected Moroccan performer inspired by fierce female poets before her. Singing nightly in provincial bars, she yearns to leave her village for Casablanca, seeking artistic recognition and a better life for herself and her son.
Irrepressible Touda dreams of only one thing—being a Sheikha, a respected traditional Moroccan performer. Empowered by the songs of resistance and emancipation of the fierce female poets who came before her, she takes the stage every evening in provincial bars. Tired of performing under the lustful gaze of men, Touda sets her sights on leaving her small village for the bright lights of Casablanca, where she hopes to be recognized as a true artist—and secure a better future for her and her son. The latest from award-winning director Nabil Ayouch (Casablanca Beats, Horses of God) premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was Morocco’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
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