The Damned Don't Cry

Fatima-Zahra (Aicha Tebbae) left her home village long ago to pursue a life of glamour. She is now supporting herself and her son Selim (Abdellah El Hajjouji) through sex work. Mother and son move from place to place, forever trying to outrun the latest scandal she’s caught up in. When Selim discovers the truth about his paternity, Fatima-Zahra vows herself to make a fresh start, whereas Selim is determined to assert himself as the man of the house. In Tangier, new opportunities promise the legitimacy they each crave—but not without pushing the volatile mother-son relationship to the breaking point. Fyzal Boulifa’s poignant story of social isolation and outsider survival made its premiere at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival where it was nominated for the GdA Director’s Award and the Queer Lion.