Morocco Bans Award-Winning Film Over Controversial Sahrawi Singer’s Song

In a statement published on Thursday, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM), responsible for granting filming authorizations and censoring films that go against the principles of the kingdom, announced the ban on the distribution of the film "Zanka contact", after the controversy that arose on social networks about the use of a song by Mariem Hassan, the Sahrawi singer who died in 2015, in the film.

The CCM explains in its note that this music by the Sahrawi singer was not in the initial script that was sent to it and for which a public subsidy of 4.2 million dirhams (389,000 euros) was granted. The song used in the script received "does not affect the principles of the kingdom," assures the CCM, which says it became aware of this change recently, by revisiting the film.

This is why the CCM has decided to prohibit "the commercial and cultural projection of the work nationally and internationally". It also withdrew the professional license of Moroccan director Ismael El Iraki and sent a formal notice to the film production company to remove this version with the Sahrawi song within the next 48 hours and publish the "original" version.

Failing that, the CCM warns that it will withdraw the accreditation from the production company to carry out cinematographic productions in Morocco and "reserves the right to take legal action" against the director and producer of the film for having modified the script. "Zanka contact" tells the story of a rock singer who returns to his hometown of Casablanca where he meets a prostitute with a golden voice of whom he falls in love.