By Tiffany Zalweski
Despite Morocco’s efforts, poverty is still a prevalent issue, although declining. One film that captures this is Ali Zaoua. The film Ali Zaoua displays the streets of Morocco through the eyes of three young boys: Kwita, Omar, and Boubker. The boys recently defected from their gang full of other young boys, with their friend Ali Zaoua joining them. However, tragically, members of the gang accidentally kill Ali after throwing a rock at his head. Thus begins the three boys’ journey to give their friend a proper burial.
Throughout the film, there are many details of life in Morocco for many children. The boys do not attend school and are homeless, but they are also too young to gain formal, steady employment. The boys take on odd jobs, such as selling cigarettes and small trinkets and crafts on the streets to passing cars. Kwita also steals a wallet from a girl in one scene. Without an apprenticeship to learn a trade or a formal education, it will become increasingly difficult for the boys to get off the streets one day. It is unknown if the boys ever went to school at all, meaning that it is possible that they are entirely illiterate, further decreasing their chances. These factors are what maintain criminal activity on the streets, as legal pay is not as attainable for those impoverished.
At one point, the boys go to visit Ali’s mom to tell her he is dead. Only Omar makes it inside her home and speaks to her. In this scene, the boys’ condition becomes more apparent, as the mother begins to comment on Omar’s appearance and poor hygiene. As the boys would not have access to proper hygiene products, it is likely that they suffer the effects of this beyond smell. Poor hygiene can also lead to sickness, dental issues, and infection. Not only can this be painful and debilitating, but infections can be lethal or lead to amputations if left untreated. As the boys do not have any means of making or keeping money, they have no access to healthcare, possibly reducing their lifespan. They also do not have access to food that is entirely safe to eat or free from any harmful bacteria, and in one scene the boys even eat sardines from a box on the floor. This could also lead to severe illness, as it is not clear whether the fish were raw or cooked or where exactly they came from.
Kwita and Omar get into an argument after an encounter with Dib, the leader of the gang, and this argument quickly turns physical. In this interaction, the boys demonstrate how violent the children become when exposed to crime and lacking a nurturing environment. Omar holds a broken glass to Kwita’s neck while Boubker pleads for them to stop fighting. The audience often sees the innocence of the boys through Boubker and his displays of childish humor, but in this scene, it is viewed through Boubker’s fear. Omar describes Kwita as a coward and graphically describes the rape and assault he endured because of it. In this, the film reveals that no crime is unknown to the streets, even when they are filled with children. It is a stark reality that mostly goes unaddressed due to the topic being considered taboo.
Ali Zaoua shares a story that is insightful and critical to the understanding of poverty in Morocco. The director identifies several social issues within Moroccan society, such as prostitution, rape, and the poverty crisis. All of these issues are interconnected, as crime rate typically rises with the poverty percentage. Ali Zaoua is a call to action that raises awareness and begs for change for the betterment of Morroco.
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I think you did a great job summarizing how violent and unhygienic a life of poverty can be especially for children that have no parental figures. Many people in our society rarely, if ever, see a child without a home. This movie gives us a perspective into what a child can experience and how difficult it is to get out of poverty.
Your review of Ali Zaoua elucidates some of the most pressing social issues the film draws attention to, underscoring the holistic nature of how it depicts poverty. I believe the film’s tendencies towards realism aid in the scope of this depiction, even if it circumvents overt social commentary. The stylistic mundanity of scenes wherein the main characters suffer from the issues you described emphasizes the extent to which such circumstances permeate in their everyday lives.
I personally feel that the story of Ali and his friends also focuses on the societal factors that create and perpetuate poverty rather than just its effects. For instance, one of the only times we see the presence of governmental authority in the film is when the police chase Ali and his friends away from an public place, implicitly showing the governmental paradox of outlawing homelessness while also directly enabling the societal conditions that create said homelessness.
The street children problem in Morocco is a difficult one to deal with. As you pointed out with the children’s lack of education, it will become increasingly difficult for these children to ever find meaningful employment and will possibly live the rest of their lives on the streets. It is a deep hole of a problem, and very difficult to get out of. Both on the children, and the system trying to fix it.
Your analysis of the boys’ exposure to crime and violence, as well as the interconnected social issues within Moroccan society, offers valuable insights into the complex web of challenges faced by marginalized communities, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to address poverty, crime, and social inequalities.
Tiffany, you provide some great insight here. Your description of the basic plot is elevated through your analysis of the film’s meaning and analysis of its symbolism. You’re correct in pointing out that the story may only be about a few kids but its deeper significance lies in what those characters represent: the depth of poverty in Morocco and the unrelenting influence of the country’s heavily stratified caste system.
Hi Tiffany,
I agree this film was definitely the hardest to watch for me, it touched on a lot of topics, and I think the director’s choices in including the drawings that reflected the kid-like state the characters were in but also operating and interacting with the world not like children because they were not protected so they were taken advantage of.