The Blue Caftan

Mina (Lubna Azabal, Incendies, Paradise Now) and her husband Halim (Saleh Bakri, who also stars in Costa Brava, Lebanon, SFF 2022) run a small business making and selling bespoke caftans. Halim is a master of his trade, and Mina a canny saleswoman, though their wares don’t come cheap and traditional dress is falling out of favour. Despite this, their business remains just brisk enough to allow them to take on a new tailor, Youssef (Ayoub Missioui). Youssef – who is gay – and Mina become fast friends and the young man’s skills soon prove essential to the business. But as Halim is increasingly drawn to the younger man, too, unspoken marital tensions and issues bubble to the surface. Touzani explores a complex marriage with tenderness and grace in a sincere and superbly performed film that unfolds in unexpected and heartening ways.