Elhoussain Idbahsine

Filming Postcolonial Casablanca: Between Dystopian and Utopian Spaces: in Moroccan Cinema Elhoussain Idbahsine

The relationship between cinema and the city has long intrigued a number of reseachers and cinema critics in academic setting. This book examines the various images of Casablanca in Moroccan cinema. The close reading of six Moroccan postcolonial films shows the dystopian and utopian visions vis-à-vis the city. Throughout the films the narrative of Utopia represents a 'virtual escapism' from the hardship of dytopian city. "Casablanca is a city a cross between the ultra modern and the Arabian nights... Casablanca was a city which combines Hollywood and the bible...the city of hope and despair? George Patton