Pirates of Salé @ Arab Camera Festival Rotterdam

Cirque Shems’y sits on the edge of one of Morocco’s poorest slums, and hundreds of teenagers come to audition each year, desperately hoping for a new future in the circus. The handful who are accepted embark on a tough journey of transformation, learning to live independently, express themselves, challenge convention, and embrace a totally alien concept: artistic freedom. Pirates of Salé is a character-based observational film that opens up the magical world of the circus through the compelling stories of the young people working to create a new future for themselves and to bring the grand spectacle of circus to Morocco and its people. Hajar is a talented aerialist who lived on the streets until she joined the circus; Imed is a dazzling performer who sees circus as a way to challenge corruption in Morocco; Rizlan has finally won a place after four long years of trying; and Abd’Ali, the youngest and a dreamer, who now has two families – Cirque Shems’y, and nine brothers and sisters to support at home. Jawad, the charismatic director, has a driving mission: to shake up Moroccan society and to develop a 100% Moroccan performance group who can shine on the international stage. He will accept nothing less than perfection. Pirates of Saléfollows Jawad and the young performers from audition through punishing hours of rehearsal to the opening night of Cirque Shemsy’s first major show, when the eyes of the world will be on them. This is a film about being young in a place with few opportunities and daring to dream.