ANIMALIA (PARMIS NOUS)

Itto (Oumaïma Barid) is pregnant and alone, and all the money from her husband’s rich family can’t seem to save her. In the rural countryside of Morocco an extraterrestrial phenomenon is taking place, and the structures that have governed society and protected the wealthy and privileged matter little now. Winner of the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Creative Vision at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, this debut feature from French-Moroccan director Sofia Alaoui imagines grand themes with modest means. Amongst sweeping desert vistas and spectacular set pieces, the film locates the tense and thrilling story of one resilient woman as things fall apart and a new center must be found. ~TW