THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES

Young Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir wants to know why she only has one photograph from her childhood, and why the girl in the picture isn’t even her. She decides to explore the past and its mysteries by creating a handmade replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up. There, she begins to interrogate the tales her mother, father and grandmother tell about their home and their country. Slowly, she starts to unravel the layers of deception and intentional forgetting that have shaped her life. The truth is hard to face, but in this sometimes surreal nonfiction film, El Moudir begins to draw what is real to the surface.

Co-presented by Bright Lights Cinema Series. Sponsored by ANYEYE Film Lab, O’Neill’s of Salem, Lulu’s Bakery and Pantry, and Adriatic Restaurant and Bar.

Salem Film Fest