HIBAPRESS
Belgian actress Virginie Efira and French-Italian actress Chiara Mastroianni called, on Sunday in Marrakech, for a free cinema, liberated from the obsession with material profit.
The two artists, during their hosting within the "Conversations" program in the framework of the 22nd edition of the Marrakech International Film Festival, which is organized under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, emphasized their defense of a cinema that dares to innovate, takes risks, delves into the depths of the unconscious, and allows actors to embody roles that may not resemble them.
The two artists expressed, in this context, their regret that originality has sometimes become frightening at the present time, after the obsession with profitability has become present in the minds of financiers, to the extent that the idea of material profit overshadows and limits artistic audacity.
Efira and Mastroianni also defended the sanctity of cinema, considering that its greatness also lies in its ability to explore contradictions, such as laughter and tears, or reality and dreams.
They pointed out that the family remains a wonderful subject for cinema because it provides an inexhaustible space of conflicts, love, silence, and reconciliation, a space in which every viewer can find a part of themselves.
The two artists added that it is interesting to look at "highly significant" works, emphasizing the need to find a balance between thinking and directing, while maintaining a space in which the unconscious expresses itself, because understanding a film can create a deep connection with the director, even if feelings of admiration are not always accompanied by a precise understanding of the work.
The "Conversations" program this year brings together some of the most inspiring figures in world cinema, especially the Korean director Bong Joon-ho, winner of the Palme d'Or and four Oscars for his film "Parasite". It also hosts the Mexican director, screenwriter, and producer Guillermo del Toro, who won three Oscars, two of them for the film "The Shape of Water" and the third for "Pinocchio".
Also participating in the "Conversations" program are the Australian director and screenwriter Andrew Dominik, director of the films "Chopper" and "Blonde", and the American actor, director, and producer Laurence Fishburne ("Boyz n the Hood", "The Matrix", and "What's Love Got to Do with It?"), and the American actress and director Jodie Foster, winner of two Oscars for Best Actress for the films "The Accused" and "The Silence of the Lambs", and the screenwriter and producer Karan Johar, from India, one of the most prominent and influential figures in Bollywood.
The "Conversations" program at the Marrakech International Film Festival provides a unique space for thinking about cinema issues and telling its stories in a different way. Filmmakers, whether behind or in front of the camera, share what shapes their artistic visions and fuels their commitment to the seventh art.
These meetings, which combine intimacy and academic rigor, are windows open to the creative process and the forces that move the world of cinema today. They also explore the role played by intuition and thinking in all related paths, from photography, direction, acting, production, writing, and the follow-up of artistic works.
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