Calle Málaga 2025

Directed by Maryam Touzani Portraits

An intimate and warm story of a life entwined with a deep-rooted sense of belonging, and the inconvenience of aging in a world that continues to move at pace.

Belgium / France / Germany / Morocco / Spain In Arabic and Spanish with English subtitles
116 minutes
TBC
NZ Classification TBC

Director

Screenplay

Maryam Touzani, Nabil Ayouch

Producers

Nabil Ayouch, Amine Benjelloun, Jean-Rémi Ducourtioux, Simón de Santiago, Fernando Bovaira, Fred Burle, Sol Bondy, Sebastian Schelenz

Cinematography

Virginie Surdej

Editor

Teresa Font

Production Designers

Eve Martin, Samir Issoum

Music

Freya Arde

Cast

Carmen Maura, Marta Etura, Ahmed Boulane, María Alfonsa Rosso

Festivals

Venice 2025; Rotterdam 2026

Elsewhere

Set in Tangier, the story centers on an aging Spanish woman who has lived in the same apartment for decades - in Calle Málaga (Malaga Street). The titular street feels like a character in this story – every beautiful shot an intimate exploration of long-established lives, loves, and connections with the residents and the buildings themselves. Touzani captivates all senses in this deliberately paced, lush love letter to her home city.

Life-long Tangier resident María Ángeles-Muñoz (played with a blend of fiery defiance, charm, and intimacy by an exquisite Carmen Maura) has her world turned upside down when her daughter arrives and gives her the choice of moving to Madrid with her, or being moved into a senior care facility. Maria soon finds herself out of place in a world that isn’t hers. Full of defiance, she finds her way back, only to find an empty apartment and her lifetime of precious keepsakes sold to a local antiques dealer. As she finds ways to earn money to buy her belongings back, María leans on old friendships (including an amusing silent performance from María Alfonsa Rosso as Sister Josefa), and discovers unexpected new bonds that change the path ahead. 

– Chris Matthews