Written and directed by Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani, who also voice the film, co-written by Ayla Mrabet, Bouchra, a 35-year-old Moroccan coyote in New York documents her long-distance relationship with her mother in Casablanca, as they explore together the love, pain and secrets that unite them through calls and intimate conversations. Also featuring the voices of: Fayçal Azizi, Ariana Faye Allensworth, Hassan Hamdani, Yto Barrada, Dounia Berrada, Bouchra Benzekri, Salima Dhaibi and Lil Patty.
The type of intensely computer generated animation that Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani employ with Bouchra is either going to work for you or it’s not. It’s a very specific style, it’s rough around the edges, has an excessively dark palette that doesn’t always allow for a lot of detail, it’s then mixed with live action backgrounds and settings. It’s an unusual blend, though you can see the intention of it to fit with the tone of the story, and it has a slightly noir edge which feels reminiscent of classic queer cinema. Although, the movement of it can feel quite blocky or frenzied, not always perfectly connecting with the voice performances.
There’s a certain rushed feeling to it, it dives straight in rather than gradually building to it. The progression can also feel like it’s jumping from scene to scene too quickly to get a handle on things. However, it’s unquestionably at its strongest when it slows down and sits in the quiet, allowing these moving mother-daughter conversations to take the spotlight. While the style can be distracting, it’s still clear to see the desire to bring to life this complicated relationship. How difficult it can be to basically start afresh with your family after coming out, and how much intense patience it requires.
Within its atmosphere is a lot of sadness and frustration, which is perfectly brought to life by the voice performances which are incredibly charming. The emotion feels beautifully sincere, they hold a real tenderness and vulnerability. If Bouchra slowed itself down a bit and didn’t stray around so much in other frantic moments and let that quietness and reflective quality truly take the limelight, it would be even stronger. Meriem Bennani is a wonderful lead for the story, bringing a captivating, endearing personality, making the character exceptionally easy to sympathise with and relate to, it’s just the static of the environment which pulls away from that.
Bouchra is a touching exploration of the mother-daughter relationship within a traditional, conservative family. It’s a strong portrayal of the difficulties in having to endlessly wait for your parent to truly accept who you are as a queer person. The filmmakers do really well to capture the unwillingness to talk openly and having to censor yourself to avoid potentially fracturing the relationship, constantly walking on eggshells even years later. However, while the style of the animation is an interesting blend and does hit upon some familiar notes, it feels distracting. Especially when the progression can be a little disjointed. It has a very big heart and a meaningful story to tell but overall, it’s not as strong as it could have been.
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