Jacques Doillon – Raja (2003)

adminOctober 19, 2019

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Venice Film Festival winner RAJA is the March selection in The Film Movement Series. Raja is a nineteen year old orphan literally and figuratively scarred by life. Fred is an emotionally bankrupt westernet living amid his plush gardens and palm trees. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Marrakech, RAJA is a cross-cultural drama about a wealthy middle-aged Frenchman’s complex relationship with a local youth. Fred’s attempt at seduction, and their mutual attempt at manipulation, are fractured by their gross disparity of income and cultural sophistication. The New York Times wrote “What distinguishes Raja from every other movie to contemplate the treacherous intersection of passion, avarice and power is its unsettling emotional honesty. The two central performances (especially Ms. Benssallem’s Raja, who has the intensity of a cornered wild animal) are so spontaneous and mercurial that the reckless flirtation seems to be unfolding before your eyes.”