Director Azlarabe Alaoui from Morocco was present at the 31^st Kolkata International Film Festival with his film Africa Blanca.

Ousmane is a young Senegalese albino, and his mother, Aichata, ran away from their homeland. They do this to escape marginalization and death threats from the local sorcerers. They embark on a dangerous journey to Europe. When they try to cross the desert, they are confronted with dangers and the indifference of unscrupulous individuals. Through this journey, they discover the depths of the human soul.

Speaking at the press conference, the director said, “The film is not only about albinos but also about displacement. The situation of the albinos is difficult. Many people who practice witchcraft believe that drinking albino blood can cure diseases and many more. This is a myth. My biggest challenge was to find an albino who could act in the film. I did not want to put makeup on the actor to portray an albino. However, the albinos doubted me and thought that I would be selling them off”.

Blanca means white.

The film has already been screened in Morocco, and the response was amazing from the audience.

The producer of the film is Azlarabe Alaoui.

The music of the film has been composed by Hicham Amedrass.

The cast of the film consists of Naky Sy Savane (Aichata) and Abdoula Aziz Sall (Osman).

Africa Blanca has been screened under the International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images.

The film is 100 minutes.

Priyanka Dutta