Nabil Ayouch

Nabil Ayouch (born 1 April 1969) is a Franco-Moroccan television and film director, producer, and writer. His films have been screened at international film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and Montreal World Film Festival.

Nabil Ayouch
Born	(1969-04-01) 1 April 1969 (age 56) Paris, France
Nationality	Moroccan
Occupation(s)	Film director, producer, and screenwriter
Years active	1992–present
Notable work	Les Pierres bleues du désert (1992)
Spouse	Maryam Touzani
Father	Noureddine Ayouch [fr]

Early life

Ayouch was born in 1969 in Paris, to a Moroccan father, Noureddine Ayouch [fr] and a French mother of Tunisian-Jewish descent. His brother is fellow director Hicham Ayouch. After his parents' divorce, he spent a large part of his childhood in the suburb of Sarcelles,^[1][2] visiting Casablanca in the summers.^[3]

Ayouch cites discovering international cinema at the local cultural center, Forum des Cholettes, as inspiring his filmmaking career.^[3]

Film career

Ayouch started his career as a scriptwriter and director with the advertising agency Euro-RSCG. In 1992, he directed Les Pierres bleues du désert, a first short film with Jamel Debbouze which tells the history of a young man convinced that there are large blue stones in the desert.

In 1993, Ayourch ended up settling in Casablanca, where he directed two short films, Hertzienne Connexion (1993) and Vendeur de silence (1994), for which he received international recognition.

In 1997, Ayouch directed his first feature film Mektoub, which represented Morocco at the Oscars. He also directed the feature films Une Minute de soleil en moins (2003) and Whatever Lola Wants (2008), produced by Pathé.^[4]

In 1999, Ayouch created a production company called Ali n'Productions to aid aspiring young directors in establishing their careers.^[1][5][4] He won the Ecumenical Award in 2000 in the Montreal World Film Festival for his film Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets.^[6] Ayouch is set to produce the French-Moroccan thriller film Mirages.^[7]

Ayouch's 2012 film Horses of God is based on Mahi Binebine’s novel The Stars of Sidi Moumen. In Horses of God, Ayouch explores the radicalization that can occur from poverty and extreme machismo, alluding to the 2003 Casablanca bombings. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.^[8][9] It was also Morocco's submission for the 85th Academy Awards (held in February 2013).

In 2021, Ayouch's film Casablanca Beats was selected for the 74th Cannes Film Festival competition.^[10]

In February 2025, Ayouch joined the competition jury at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, presided over by Todd Haynes.^[11]

Ayouch is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures, the Académie des Césars, and the Arab Film Academy.^[4]

Controversy

Ayouch's film Much Loved, which takes place in Marrakesh, caused a stir due to its unsimulated sex scenes especially the scene where Loubna Abidar performed an unsimulated fellatio on a man.^[12] The movie was ultimately banned in Morocco.^[13]

Personal life

Ayouch works and lives in Casablanca.^[4] He is married to fellow Moroccan filmmaker and actress Maryam Touzani.^[14]

Filmography

As director

• Les Pierres bleues du désert (1992)
• Mektoub (1997)
• Ali Zaoua, prince de la rue (2000) a.k.a. Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (USA)
• Une minute de soleil en moins (2003) (TV) a.k.a. A Minute of Sun Less (International: English title)
• Whatever Lola Wants (2007)
• Horses of God (2012)
• Much Loved (2015)
• Razzia (2017)
• Casablanca Beats (2021)
• Everybody Loves Touda (2024)

As writer

• Les Pierres bleues du désert (1992)
• Mektoub (1997)
• Ali Zaoua, prince de la rue (2000) a.k.a. Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (USA)
• Une minute de soleil en moins (2003) (TV) a.k.a. A Minute of Sun Less (International: English title)
• Whatever Lola Wants (2007) co-written with Jane Hawksley
• The Blue Caftan (2023) written in collaboration with Maryam Touzani

As producer

• 2000: Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets (associate producer)
• 2006: Tiwarga (TV Movie)
• 2006: Heart Edges
• 2008: Houti Houta (TV Movie)
• 2010: L'Equipe (The Team) (TV Series)
• 2010: Al ferka (TV Series)
• 2010: 3ichk al baroud 2010 (TV Movie)
• 2010: Mirages
• 2011: My Land (Documentary)
• 2011: Zinat Al Hayat (TV Series) (executive producer)
• 2012: Quand ils dorment (Short)
• 2012: Horses of God
• 2013: Une bonne leçon (TV Movie) (line producer: Morocco)
• 2013: C'est eux les chiens...
• 2015: Much Loved
• 2015: Aji-Bi (Documentary)
• 2015: All Three of Us (line producer: Morocco)
• 2015: Aya Goes to the Beach (Short)
• 2017: Pluie de sueur
• 2017: Zwaj El Waqt (TV Movie documentary)
• 2019: Wadrari (Documentary)
• 2019: Adam
• 2023: The Blue Caftan

Decorations

• Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters (2015)^[15]

Further reading

• Jonathan Smolin, "Nabil Ayouch: Transgression, Identity, and Difference" in: Josef Gugler (ed.), Ten Arab Filmmakers: Political Dissent and Social Critique, Indiana University Press, 2015, ISBN 978-0-253-01644-7, pp 214–244