Abdelhak Najib’s first feature film, Les évadés de Tindouf, opens in Moroccan cinemas on Wednesday, November 4. Its release comes two days before the anniversary of the Green March and just days after October 31, a significant date in the Sahara issue. The timing is no coincidence, giving particular resonance to a film about former detainees held in the Tindouf camps.
The release date was discussed on Tuesday, November 3, during the film’s premiere at Megarama in Casablanca. Several public figures attended, including Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour. Screened several times since 2025, the film, distributed by Canal 4, run by Imane Mesbahi, is now set to reach a wider audience in cinemas across Morocco.
Behind every escape is a life to tell
Abdelhak Najib, who wrote and directed the film, spoke about the encounters that inspired the project.
“I met people who endured years of torture in Tindouf, but their resilience became a form of resistance. This film tells their stories, including that of Mohamed Lahmani, whom I met when I was working at VH Magazine. I wanted to tell his story in a fictionalized form while remaining faithful to their real experiences,” he explained.
Les évadés de Tindouf follows people who managed to flee detention facilities in the Tindouf camps, some after spending more than 20 years there. They include men and women who endured torture, physical and psychological abuse, humiliation and rape. Behind the cinematic narrative are human stories marked by suffering, but also by the determination to survive and bear witness.
A father’s story told through roots in the desert
The film also draws on literature, particularly A Shadow on the Sand, whose plot Najib describes.
“The book tells the story of a man who escapes from Tindouf, crosses the desert and eventually dies there. His remains are never found. Twenty-four years later, his son returns to the Sahara in search of his father’s remains. He meets an old man who tells him, ‘Don’t look for your father. He is everywhere.’ The old man points to trees growing in the sand and explains that their roots are his father’s. That story became the basis for the screenplay,” Najib said.
The image, both striking and poetic, adds another dimension to the film, exploring memory, the passing of history between generations and the traces left by those who have disappeared.
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Walid Regragui contributed to the film’s production
The project also stands out for its financing. According to Najib, it received no institutional support or grants and was made possible through personal contributions.
“In 2024, we decided to make this film with no money. We received no institutional funding, but a few friends supported us. One day, Walid Regragui, who was then coach of the national football team, called us and offered to help, telling us he would send us some money,” he recalled.
Psychiatrist, actress and film producer Imane Kendili sees the film as a link between memory and the transmission of history.
“It is an emotional film that brings generations together around Morocco’s history, a history stretching back several centuries. We have fought and persevered,” she said.
She also recalled the emotion she felt while reading King Mohammed VI’s speech on October 31 of the previous year.
“When I read the two paragraphs about Tindouf, I started crying. Today, I believe we are giving substance to the messages in that speech and better understanding the significance of this vision,” she said.
‘Speaking about places the world knows nothing about’
Dentist by profession, Alia Bencheikh plays a doctor who is abducted in the film. Beyond her role, she emphasized the film’s wider message.
“It is a message addressed to Moroccans, but also to the whole world, to shed light on what happens in places that are little known. This experience was enriching, and I hope other films will tackle this subject,” she said.
Mohamed Choubi’s final screen role
The cast brings together Imane Kendili and Alia Bencheikh, alongside Driss Roukhe, who plays the corporal overseeing torture sessions, and Dean Mountaki, who portrays a torturer. Mohamed Choubi plays an antique dealer, a friend of Mohammed who also survived detention in Tindouf. Kamal Haïmoud, Karim Oujil, Mohamed Simoka and Yassine Abdelkader are also among the cast.
Choubi’s presence gives the film particular significance. Already struggling with illness during filming, the actor portrays a man still haunted by his captivity. His death lends his appearance on screen an added emotional weight.
