The Mother of All Lies

In Morocco’s official Oscar® entry, Asmae El Moudir weaves the story of her own family with that of her own nation as both converged upon the 1981 Bread Riots, piecing together memories using a handcrafted scale model of her own Casablanca neighborhood. Winner of the Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard Award for Best Director.

For families living in the neighborhoods of Casablanca, life took a devastating turn during the 1981 Moroccan riots. Yet, under her grandmother’s roof and authoritarian rule, Asmae knew next to nothing of the unspeakable acts and the reverberating aftermath through which her family quietly suffered. Until now. With the help of her father, Asmae recreates her old neighborhood in miniature, hoping her carefully crafted models and figurines will foster an opportunity for her family and neighbors to relive their experiences, process their trauma, and finally piece together the truth Asmae’s been searching for. As visceral memories unfold, a lifetime of lies, deceit, and purposeful omissions emerge, leaving a family brimming with emotions they’ve buried for decades. Exceptionally inventive in its visual storytelling, THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES illustrates the sheer power of memories in spite of forceful oppressors attempting to erase them. —A.B.