Rendered in striking 3D animation and infused with documentary intimacy, Bouchra is a singular, emotionally resonant debut exploring the complex bond between mother and daughter.

Bouchra, a 35 year-old queer Moroccan filmmaker in New York, is struggling to decide on her next project. She also happens to be an animated coyote in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals. A phone call with her mother back in Casablanca resurfaces memories of how her sexuality has shaped their relationship. Their tender yet complex exchange sparks a creative breakthrough, as she begins to craft a fictionalised narrative to explore what their relationship would be like had she hidden that part of herself.

With a shared background in documentary and animation, Barki and Bennani have created a film that defies categorisation, utilising real life phone calls between Bennani and her mother as part of the narrative in some of the film’s most poignant scenes. The choice to use 3D animated animals against photographic backgrounds brings extra layers of symbolism to a story of someone who feels caught between worlds and languages.

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