Rabat – The trailer for Hakim Belabbes’ 2022 movie “Collapsed Walls” promises no entertainment in the ordinary sense. Rather, it’s a collage of seemingly disjointed clips: people carrying on with their mundane lives, meandering through nature, or simply staring into the camera lens. Without dialogue or narration, the clip is only accompanied by soft instrumental music.

Yet, it is deeply evocative, inviting the audience to find out more.

“Collapsed Walls” would be akin to an independent movie — or indie — in the US where the genre was founded and popularized. Produced outside of the major studio’s system such as Hollywood, indies are made by directors hoping to realize an artistic vision or deliver a political message, often with lower budgets.

But here in Morocco, the country’s unique cinema history and context complicates classification.

‘Moroccan cinema was born independent’

For Mohammed V University professor and researcher in Moroccan cinema Jamal Bahmad, independence should be defined as the filmmaker’s freedom of expression to tackle any subject without fear of censorship or repercussions.

“Therefore when you look at the body of Moroccan films made since the country’s independence [in 1956], most of it is not independent,” Bahmad told Morocco World News.

Moroccan cinema first took the form of news reels used by the new government for nation-building purposes such as