The Mother of All Lies

Name: The Mother of All Lies
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Documentary
Released: September 6, 2024
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Asmae ElMoudir

2024

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Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Outsider Pictures | Release Date: September 6, 2024 | Not Rated

Starring: Asmae ElMoudir

Summary: Young Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir wants to know why she only has one photograph from her childhood, and why the girl in the picture isn’t even her. She decides to explore the past and its mysteries by creating a handmade replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up. There, she begins to interrogate the tales her mother,Young Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir wants to know why she only has one photograph from her childhood, and why the girl in the picture isn’t even her. She decides to explore the past and its mysteries by creating a handmade replica of the Casablanca neighborhood where she grew up. There, she begins to interrogate the tales her mother, father, and grandmother tell about their home and their country. Slowly, she starts to unravel the layers of deception and intentional forgetting that have shaped her life. The truth is hard to face, but in this sometimes surreal nonfiction film, El Moudir begins to draw what is real to the surface. [Outsider Pictures]… Expand

Director: Asmae ElMoudir

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 96 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Manuel Betancourt

Nov 21, 2023

The Mother of All Lies is an astonishing work whose maturity comes from El Moudir’s wide-eyed approach to her family history, where memory and history are quite literally reduced to playthings in order to process the unspeakable events they conjure up. Read full review

The Guardian Phuong Le

Jul 2, 2024

In choosing to delve into the liminal space between history and recreation, El Moudir’s film radically prioritises friction over easy reconciliation, making space for secrets and lies in pursuit of the truth. Read full review

Sumner Forbes

Sep 6, 2024

Indeed, many professed aficionados of non-narrative cinema are averse to such formal adventurism, but with the right state of mind and their curiosity peaked, there’s no doubt that adventurous film-goers will find this to be one of the most striking documentaries of 2024. Read full review

The Playlist Ankit Jhunjhunwala

Jan 25, 2024

El Moudir, at long last, demands a reckoning, that will uncover old wounds, but also provide closure. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Monica Castillo

Sep 6, 2024

This strange and creative approach to storytelling and family therapy is a small wonder to see in action. Read full review

Gregory Nussen

Aug 31, 2024

Through her use of recreation, Asmae El Moudir suggests that the act of documentary filmmaking can turn historical truths into fiction, in which everyone becomes an active participant. Read full review

The Film Verdict Stephen Dalton

Jul 13, 2023

As a piece of investigative journalism it feels a little too fuzzy, but as an imaginative exercise in non-fiction cinema, it is consistently interesting and often hauntingly beautiful. Read full review

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