March 02, 2026 At 1:30 p.m.
Ali Rguigue :
The project was born from a clear cultural need: to give Moroccan children figures from their own history. We have long imported imaginations; it was time to produce our own. Animation was a natural choice, because it makes history accessible, sensitive and visual. It transforms an academic story into an emotional experience capable of lastingly marking the imagination.Why Touria Chaoui to inaugurate the series?
Touria Chaoui represents a powerful symbol: youth, courage, modernity and female emancipation. Its history is universal while being deeply Moroccan. She embodies a generation that believed in the impossible. For a first season, we needed a figure capable of speaking to children, families and the diaspora, and his journey offered an obvious cinematic dimension.
Twenty four-minute episodes constitute a very tight format. How did you overcome this challenge?
The challenge was multiple. First, choosing figures like Touria Chaoui, but also Abbas Ibnou Firnas implies a great historical responsibility. Then, choosing a serialized format in short episodes – rather than a feature film – is a real narrative bias.
We took on this serial format to create a regular meeting with the public, almost educational. Condensing such rich trajectories into twenty four-minute episodes forced us to identify the most significant moments and translate them into visually strong sequences.
Among the significant events adapted into animation: the first dreams of flight, social obstacles, the historical context, moments of overtaking and the first aerial exploits. Each event was transformed into a symbolic sequence: the sky as a metaphor for freedom, movement as an expression of emancipation, light as a translation of hope. Animation thus makes it possible to transform historical facts into accessible and emotional images.
How did you find the balance between documentary rigor and narrative freedom?
We began with in-depth research using reliable archives and historical sources. Once this basis was established, we adapted the story to preserve its essence while simplifying certain dimensions in order to make them accessible to children. Narrative freedom only serves to reinforce fluidity and emotional impact, without ever betraying historical reality.
Why did you favor a 2D aesthetic?
2D has a human and timeless dimension particularly suited to heritage stories. It promotes emotional expressiveness and creates proximity with the viewer.
Furthermore, we are now observing an international strategic repositioning towards 2D. Disney recently reaffirmed its attachment to this format as a pillar of its creative identity. This confirms that 2D is not a nostalgic choice, but a coherent and contemporary artistic choice.
What is your view on the Moroccan animation industry?
I am optimistic. Morocco has a proven talent pool and a new generation trained to international standards.
The Meknes International Animation Film Festival (FICAM), which has existed for more than twenty years, plays an essential structuring role. It constitutes an international crossroads where Moroccan talents and high-level professionals meet. It allows exchanges, co-productions and acts as a strategic development platform for animated cinema.
The Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) has also been involved for several years in structuring professions, reinforcing the importance of writing and studying aid fund mechanisms adapted to the specificities of animation. We are in a phase of gradual consolidation of the ecosystem.
The broadcast of “Maghariba Fi Samae” on “TV5Monde” marks an important step. What does this international recognition represent?
Broadcasting on “TV5Monde” represents much more than just international programming. It symbolizes cultural and industrial validation. “TV5Monde” is a global network that reaches approximately 430 million households in more than 180 countries. This means that Moroccan historical figures, told by Moroccan talents, gain global visibility. This recognition confirms that our heritage can travel, dialogue with other cultures and be part of an international French-speaking dynamic. It is also a strong signal for the Moroccan industry: we are capable of producing heritage content to international broadcast standards.
On a strategic level, this opens up prospects in terms of co-productions, international sales and linguistic diversification. This also strengthens the credibility of Moroccan animation with foreign broadcasters and institutional partners.
Finally, it is a question of image: exporting our historical stories contributes to the cultural influence of the Kingdom and the promotion of soft power based on culture and creativity.
What role should a studio like Artcoustic play?
Our responsibility is to actively participate in the construction of a strong and contemporary Moroccan imagination. Faced with the domination of international content, we must produce stories rooted in our culture while respecting international quality standards. It’s about creating a balance between local identity and global ambition.
Does this series mark the beginning of a larger collection?
Yes, it is part of a global vision of heritage development.
We have already produced “Tourat Al Maghrib”, broadcast on “2M” during last Ramadan, which enjoyed national success and is now attracting the interest of several European channels for broadcasts.
multilingual.
At the same time, we are developing several ambitious projects:
. “Harun & Mamun”, a short stop motion film presented at the Annecy Festival.
. “Malik”, the first Moroccan feature film inspired by the mystical mythology of the country, directed by Khalid Nait Zlaï, having collaborated on major international productions such as “X-Men”, “The Last of Us” or “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
. A co-production with “TV5Monde” focused on Moroccan intangible heritage.
Our ambition is clear: to sustainably place Moroccan animation in an international dynamic while consolidating a strong cultural identity.
