Like those heroines in an amusement park in the middle of the night, The women of Pavilion J is a trip offered by Moroccan filmmaker Mohamed Nadif to viewers. But not just any: his second feature film is an incursion into the daily lives of three residents of a psychiatric ward in Casablanca − Amal, Ibtissam and Rim − and their nurse and accomplice Halima, just as fragile as her patients. The women of Pavilion J offers an almost documentary approach to the lives of these interned women and takes a benevolent look at the mechanisms of female solidarity which also functions as therapy.
As the plot takes on the appearance of a thriller, Nadif reveals the reasons for their unhappiness. The result is an edifying picture of the place of women in Moroccan society. Especially when they are defenceless, tested by social injunctions and the multiplicity of attacks to which they are subjected. The quartet of actresses brought together by Mohamed Nadif admirably brings to life this complex and multifaceted tableau of women struggling to regain control of their lives. Interview with the Moroccan director.
franceinfo Africa: why do we decide to put our camera in a psychiatric ward dedicated to women?
Mohammad Nadif: I went there with my wife Assma El Adrami (co-screenwriter of the film in which she also plays the role of Amal, editor’s note) to visit a relative. What struck me first was the location: I was imagining something else. I had the impression that it was a happy place because the women were among themselves, free… On entering this pavilion, I had moreover been greeted by a patient with a song that I used in the film. This reception gave me the impression that all these women, by dint of being bored on the outside – I apologize for the term (smile) –, feel good among themselves. Ignorance of these diseases, especially depression, pushed me to document myself. And talking with my wife, it gave us the idea to start from this particular place to tell stories of women, to make their portraits and through them to evoke the female condition in Morocco.
HASwrong, Ibtissam and Rim are lucky to have a remarkable nurse, Halima, who is also a friend. This last provides them with an alternative therapy by helping them to literally escape from the famous pavilion…
A nurse who is also struggling against depression… This experience of friendship in the pavilion, this sorority helps them to overcome what they have experienced and to gradually find a taste for life. They feel protected by this place and when they leave it, they find themselves in danger. Which somewhat reflects the situation of women in the public space where they are not free.
The threat of an abortion ban in the United States and the widespread wearing of the burqa in Afghanistan illustrate how women’s rights are in decline today in the world. And in Morocco?
In Afghanistan, in a way, you can “understand” because it’s a regime of fanatics, but in the United States… It’s worrying because everything that is acquired in terms of the status of women in the world, in general, is not 100%. We must remain vigilant and not give up. Whenever there is a change of regime, as in Afghanistan, or a war, the first victims are women and children.
In Morocco, civil society is vigilant but there is still a lot to do. Advancement in our society is linked to the development of women and their clear place in society. There is a gap between rural areas and big cities. On the one hand, there are free young women defending themselves. On the other, regions where the marriage of minors persists even though we are in the 21st century! There is still work to be done in our country and fortunately there are women and this civil society who are mobilizing. There is also a political will to listen to these women. We need more rights, freedom, more equality…
The heroines of Pavilion J represent different generations of women marked by dramas as diverse as sexual abuse or physical violence. How did you choose the actresses?
The role of Amal, interpreted by the co-writer Assma El Hadrami, was decided during the writing of the film. For Jalila Talemsi, who plays the nurse, I collaborated with her on the film Nomads (2019) as co-producer. She played the leading role there and her way of working won me over. Imane Mechrafi, who plays Ibtissam, was retained after trials. As for Rim Fethi, who coincidentally has the same first name as her character in the film, she came to the tryouts with the boy haircut she has in the film. She had asked me to tell her about her character and I had told her that she looked like a tomboy. I thought what she had done for the tryouts was very strong. Rim Fethi was awesome and during filming she got carried away by the other actresses who are a bit more experienced than her.
You are behind and in front of the camera in this film. You play the doctor in charge of this pavilion…
It is a secondary but important role. I had been told about a doctor who had done a lot for the psychiatric hospital in Casablanca. It’s a way of paying homage to him. He makes a huge effort because the budgets are not sufficient to operate these places, especially at home. This doctor has done a lot of work with patrons and benefactors so that his patients are always better taken care of. However, all this is still insufficient because apart from the big cities where there are few reception infrastructures, there is a concern for those who suffer from mental illness in Morocco.
Are these evils still a taboo in society?
Yes… Going to a shrink is a recent phenomenon in Morocco, even for depression. For people, when we talk about shrink, it’s because we’re crazy, whereas many people are depressed but don’t know it.
This is your second feature film as a director. Is it easy to make films in Morocco today?
It’s not easy, but we are helped by the state. I believe that we are the first country in Africa to have introduced the French-style advance on receipts. Aid has existed for thirty years, but the advance on receipts dates back twenty years. Morocco thus supports about fifteen feature films on average per year. There is a political will to help the cinema, especially since our country is an international shooting destination. There are a lot of films being shot here. So there’s no reason why we shouldn’t shoot our own images. The aid makes it possible to have a production from which emerges a certain quality.
The Women of Pavilion J by Mohammad Nadif
With Assma El Hadrami, Jalila Talemssi, Imane Elmechrafi, Rim Fethi and Mohamed Nadif
French release: May 11, 2022