HIBAPRESS – I.Smlali
In a move reflecting the rising dynamism of Moroccan cinema on the international stage, the documentary film project "Don't Let the Sun Shine on Me" was able to win the support of the Dutch "Hubert Bals" fund for the year 2026, within a selective list that includes only eight projects from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
This crowning comes supported by a financial grant of 60,000 euros, within the framework of the "HBF+Europe" program dedicated to joint productions, reflecting the confidence that the project enjoys within international cinematic circles, especially in light of a cross-border production partnership that brings together a number of countries. The work is based on a deep human story, tracking the journey of a young woman seeking to honor her sister who suffers from a rare genetic disease that forces her to live in isolation away from the sun's rays, in a visual treatment that blends pain and hope, and gives the story an affecting human dimension. With a modern directorial vision, the film proposes a new language within the Arab documentary, through a journey that extends towards distant spaces in search of a safe haven, in an approach that combines environmental and social issues, and qualifies it to record a weighty presence in major international cinematic events. The director of the work, Asmae El Moudir, stands out as one of the most important rising cinematic voices in Morocco and North Africa, where she received her training at the Higher Institute of Audiovisual Professions and Cinema in Rabat, and accumulated experience in the completion of documentary works for the benefit of international channels and platforms, before developing her own style based on the blend between autobiography and visual investigation, which gives her works a distinctive artistic imprint and a deep human vision.
