Casablanca Beats

Released Sep 16, 2022

1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

Music

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86%

37 Reviews

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Director Nabil Ayouch (Razzia, Horses of God) drew on his own experience opening a youth cultural center in Casablanca for this story of a former rapper named Anas who takes a job teaching hip hop in an underprivileged neighborhood. Despite differences in identity, religion, and politics, Anas encourages his students to bond together and break free from the weight of restrictive traditions in order to follow their passion and express themselves through the arts. Featuring a dynamic ensemble of first-time actors, many of them students of the real-life cultural center where the film was shot, Casablanca Beats is a vibrant and inspiring coming-of-age hip hop musical with a decidedly feminist edge. Mixing intimate yet high stakes drama with infectious musical sequences, the film transports audiences to a lively and contemporary Casablanca, far from the clichés about the Arab world. Morocco's official submission to the 94th Academy Awards® offers a refreshing dose of youthful inspiration alongside a powerful message about the liberating power of self-expression.

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Critics Consensus

An inspiring fact-based story, the powerfully performed Casablanca Beats offers an uplifting reminder that formulas can be effective in the right hands.

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Andrea C

Interessante e ben eseguito estratto della gioventù di un paese diviso tra tradizione e futuro. "Casablanca beats" riesce perfettamente, unendo rap a cultura locale, a raccontare numerose storie, con annessi punti di vista diametralmente opposti che elaborano pensieri e musica in modo sublime, credibile e chiaro anche per chi non conosce alla perfezione la situazione del paese. Il contesto intorno a loro purtroppo non è così chiaro, la struttura in cui sono poteva essere raccontata meglio e l'attore protagonista non è certo un fenomeno; ed il suo personaggio è il meno sviluppato tra tutti, sembra quasi un narratore esterno. Bellissimi i passaggi tra uno studente e l'altro, ognuno dei quali con una storia ed un punto di vista diverso da raccontare; tutti i temi toccati, per quanto delicati, sono espressi con rispetto ma senza paura. Bellissimo ritratto sociale.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/13/23

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Jenn E

Very feminist, hiphop, youth oriented, and a realistic depiction of how music and art can be the heart of revolution, at the neighborhood level. I liked it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Nabil Ayouch

Director

Anas Basbousi

Actor

Ismail Adouab

Actor

Amina Kannan

Actor

Meriem Nekkach

Actor

Nouhaila Arif

Actor

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Casablanca Beats: Trailer 1

1:51

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Austin Considine

New York Times

Hip-hop isn’t dead, the film energetically insists; it’s just been hiding in a Moroccan slum.

Sep 15, 2022

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Tom Shone

Times (UK)

The teenagers’ thoughts on the matters that shape their lives — including sexism and religion — are invigorating. They are conveyed through ardent conversations as well as hip-hop.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 24, 2022

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

[A] vivid musical drama...

Rated: 3/5

May 2, 2022

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Elsa Fernández-Santos

El Pais (Spain)

All in all, the best about Casablanca Beats is its earnest simplicity and belief in the story it tells. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 27, 2022

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Carlos Marañón

Cinemanía (Spain)

A story with a simple plot... that mutates into a rap musical. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 20, 2022

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Dan Mecca

The Film Stage

One may recall staples like School Daze or Dead Poets Society in different moments, which is meant more as a compliment than some reductive comparison.

Rated: B

Sep 20, 2022

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Synopsis

Director Nabil Ayouch (Razzia, Horses of God) drew on his own experience opening a youth cultural center in Casablanca for this story of a former rapper named Anas who takes a job teaching hip hop in an underprivileged neighborhood. Despite differences in identity, religion, and politics, Anas encourages his students to bond together and break free from the weight of restrictive traditions in order to follow their passion and express themselves through the arts. Featuring a dynamic ensemble of first-time actors, many of them students of the real-life cultural center where the film was shot, Casablanca Beats is a vibrant and inspiring coming-of-age hip hop musical with a decidedly feminist edge. Mixing intimate yet high stakes drama with infectious musical sequences, the film transports audiences to a lively and contemporary Casablanca, far from the clichés about the Arab world. Morocco's official submission to the 94th Academy Awards® offers a refreshing dose of youthful inspiration alongside a powerful message about the liberating power of self-expression.

Director: Nabil Ayouch
Screenwriter: Nabil Ayouch
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Genre: Drama, Music
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 15, 2022