Adam (2019)

Directed by: Maryam Touzani | 98 minutes | drama | Actors: Lubna Azabal, Nisrin Erradi, Douae Belkhaouda, Aziz Hattab, Hasna Tamtaoui

Unmarried motherhood is still taboo in Morocco. An illegitimate child will be remembered for the rest of his or her life, so many women – who for whatever reason become pregnant and do not have a partner – choose to give up the child immediately after birth. The Moroccan/French/Belgian production ‘Adam’ deals with this theme in a sensitive and intriguing way.

Samia (Nisrin Erradi) is heavily pregnant, homeless and looking for a job and shelter in Casablanca. She goes door to door, but gets zero every time. When she is rejected by Abla (Lubna Azabal) at the end of the day, she gives up and decides to spend the night outside. Abla is a single mother and owner of a bakery that she runs from her home. When she looks outside before going to sleep and sees the exhausted Samia sitting in front of her house, she decides to let the woman in anyway. Just for one night.

Samia had already met Abla’s mischievous daughter Warda (Douae Belkhaouda), who undergoes the arrival of the young woman in her life with childlike enthusiasm and open-mindedness. Because of her openness we get little bits of what kind of person Abla is, but for a long time the background of this stiff, hard-working woman remains unknown. However, the same applies to Samia, who we only hear debit half-truths in a telephone conversation with an acquaintance of her parents. ‘Adam’ is largely about the growing relationship between these two women, one suspicious, rigid and unhappy, the other desperate and doing everything possible to end this period in her life on a good note.

That one night quickly becomes more and Samia proves to be a valuable addition to Abla’s modest bakery. The way she prepares rziza is a feast for the eyes and the film works on your appetite, with all those delicious dishes in the picture. Debuting feature film director Maryam Touzani deliberately keeps the story small and holds no big surprises, but relies on her captivatingly written characters and the good actresses who shape these characters. That works well. Many close-up shots and almost painterly depictions of the situations enhance the intimacy of the film. ‘Adam’ is a beautiful portrait of two powerful women who, despite their own troubles, encourage each other to transform.