Les Meutes

Moroccan writer-director Kamal Lazraq’s debut feature LES MEUTES takes us on a riveting journey through the underbelly of his native Casablanca. When local chieftain Dib’s beloved hound is mortally wounded in a dogfight between gangs, revenge is inevitable. For just a handful of cash, desperate small-time crook Hassan agrees to kidnap a thug from the rival gang, dragging his honest son Issam into the job. After the kidnapped man accidentally dies, father and son—superbly portrayed by non-professional actors Abdellatif Masstouri and Ayoub Elaid—must dispose of the corpse before dawn. Focusing on this troubled father-son relationship, Lazraq tracks his doomed heroes as they frantically move from one location to the next trying to save their skins. Blending realism with occasional otherworldly visions, he views them with compassion as one misfortune follows another. Strikingly shot by cinematographer Amine Berrada with an ever-moving camera in the natural darkness of night and underpinned by P.R2B’s haunting score, the duo’s tragicomic endeavor becomes larger-than-life. A bitter social satirical thriller, LES MEUTES ends exactly where it began, but Hassan and Issam’s lives will never be the same. (Maria Giovanna Vagenas)

Kamal Lazraq: DRARI (2011, K), MOUL LKELB (2013, K)