Behind the Palm Trees

Aspiring architect Mehdi (Driss Ramdi) wants more from life than eventually taking over his father’s construction company. While seemingly on a path to marry devoted girlfriend Selma, Mehdi succumbs to the attractions of Marie (Giraudeau), the aimless 40-ish daughter of wealthy French parents who own a luxury home in the kasbah. With a sharp eye for class divisions and colonial legacies that continue to play a role in Moroccan society, Benm’Barek paints a compelling portrait of moral decay as Mehdi attempts to secure his future by manipulating the women in his life. It’s beautifully shot in new and old Tangier, and French acting royalty Carole Bouquet has a telling role as Marie’s reptilian mother.