Amazigh short film, “What if the Goats Die” by Sofia Alaoui, has been nominated for next year’s Academy awards, popularly known as the Oscars, a ceremony that is scheduled to take place on on Sunday, April 25, 2021 at Los Angeles’ Union Station.
The Amazigh speaking film has won multiple awards since its release early in 2019, such as the Jury prize award at the Sundance Festival back in February 2020 in salt lake city, and several short list nominations, including Clermont Ferrand, Sao Paolo as well as at the International Nature Namur Festival in Belguim.
“What if the Goats Die” is about a young shepherd named Abdellah, living in the high atlas mountains, Morocco, who is forced to brave the snow blocking him in order to get food and save his cattle. Once he gets to the village, he faces a supernatural phenomenon.
Sofia Alaoui is Moroccan director and screen writer who spent her childhood between Morocco and elsewhere in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. She has directed both documentary and fiction shorts that have been selected for many festivals. Sofia is aiming for a cinema beyond borders that flirts with cinematographic genres. She is currently developing her first feature and TV series. She founded the Moroccan production company Jiango Film.
