Born in Paris in 1969 to a Moroccan father and a Tunisian mother, Nabil Ayouch made his name in Morocco with films about those at the margins. Ali Zaoua (2000) follows street kids in Casablanca. Horses of God (2012) examines how a group of boys from the Sidi Moumen shantytown become suicide bombers. Much Loved (2015), about sex workers in Marrakech, was banned in Morocco. Casablanca Beats (2021), in which a former rapper teaches hip-hop at a cultural centre, was in competition at Cannes. He founded the cultural centre Les Étoiles de Sidi Moumen.
Filmography
- Ali Zaoua (2000)
- Whatever Lola Wants (2007)
- Horses of God (2012)
- Much Loved (2015)
- Razzia (2017)
- Casablanca Beats (2021)