Moroccan director Israe Tebiche, a fresh graduate of the higher institute of audiovisual and cinema Professions “ISMAC”, was awarded an honorable mention at the national film festival of Tangier “FNF” for her first short film “Bloody Soul”.
In an interview with MoroccoLatestNews, she delved into her creative process, making the movie with her school friends and her vision as a director.
“Bloody Soul” received critical acclaim after being shown at the Tangier festival, with cinema critics and professionals alike applauding the quality, craft, and depth of the story.
The movie was Tebiche’s end-of-study project, and It all started with the idea of two friends, Othmane Oublal and Alae Lambarky, who are both the sound engineers of Tebiche’s film.
The idea was “What if a deeply religious Muslim man, who wants to join a political religious party, had a girlfriend”. Israe said that she had a hard time trying to take in the subject and write a story about it.
“I hesitated for a long time to talk about religion, until one day I saw myself in this protagonist who lives this daily hypocrisy. I therefore accentuated this duality: life and religion. It is obvious that Islam and life are one, a single unity that allows one to find freedom and the joy of living, but once separated, life is turned upside down and carnage takes hold of the man, hence the presence of blood,” explained the director.
In order to capture the protagonist’s mental state, she created the story in a disorganized and rather experimental style, mirroring the character’s torn-apart mental state. Tebiche’s talent showed through every frame.
“I did not write with the aim of moralizing or preaching. I wrote to show my own life. As Mehdi (the main character) said: “We are all hypocrites” he said this not to judge but to cry out about his suffering,” explained the director.
As it was her first short film, Tebiche encountered several problems regarding the feasibility and the direction of actors.
Othman Oublal, composed the film’s soundtrack himself, and Yazid Zahti and Abdelhak Kacimi, who are also ISMAC students, accompanied Israel during the editing and did their best to produce a well-crafted end-of-study project.
When asked to speak of her identity as a director, Tebiche said “I’m trying my best to find my language. I find that sincerity and feelings are the driving force of my work, I still have a long way to go before I can carry out a project that will perfectly convey my deep thoughts. I am always discovering myself and what I want to share with the viewer.”
Alongside this short film, the 21-year-old director made a documentary on a deserted region near Ouzoud, called “Zaouiat Tanaghmelt”.
She has now moved to Ouarzazate to pursue a master’s degree, and she aspires to film a new documentary on the region.
“I found myself in making documentaries, a medium that perfectly mixes reality and poetry. Therefore, I plan to explore this passion that keeps me going. I only have one idea: take a camera and go on an adventure,” concluded the young talent.