The casting of Moroccan actor Rabie Kati as Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim Al Khattabi better known as “Mulay Muhand” in the upcoming film, “Anwal,” is drawing fire from actors, writers and Rif as well as other Amazigh activists across morocco.
Variety got confirmation last week that Rabie, who is not from the Rif nor speaks Amazigh language of the Rif, will star the main role “Mulay Muhand”, who led the indigenous Amazigh tribes of the Rif to fight against Spanish colonialism.
Many Riffians took on social media to denounce the casting.
“How is this still going on? How is Morocco excluding our actors and the use of our native language but still using our narratives? No more appropriation” someone posted on his facebook wall.
“I don’t got a prob with Rabie but he ain’t Riffian!” another person added.
“Anwal” surveys the life of iconic revolutionary Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim AlKhattabi, focusing mainly on the The Battle of Anwal that was fought on July 22, 1921, between the Spanish Army and Amazigh combatants of the Rif region during the Rif War. The Spanish suffered a major military defeat, almost always referred to by the Spanish as the Disaster of Anwal.
The film is written by Mohamed Nadrani, who is a former political prisoner in Morocco, and directed by Mohamed Bouzaggou, author of the well known comic book, “L’Emir Ben Abdelkrim”.
“Anwal” is fully funded by the Moroccan Cinematographic Center, and the filming production has already begun on sites near the cities of Nador and Driouch. The film will be using the Moroccan dialect “Darija” as well some scenes in Spanish and it will be entirely dubbed into Amazigh language of the Rif following the completion of the filming and editing phases.
