Mad World Takes Seloua El Gouni’s Moroccan Feminist Drama ‘The Wound’ Starring Oumaïma Barid (EXCLUSIVE)
Dubai-based sales company Mad World has taken global rights to feminist drama “The Wound,” which marks the directorial debut of Morocco’s Seloua El Gouni, who has experience as a production manager on Hollywood titles such as “A Hologram for the King” and “Men in Black: International.”
“The Wound” (“La Plaie”) stars rising Arab talent Oumaïma Barid, who gained global notice in Sofia Alaoui’s 2023 Sundance title “Animalia.” Barid plays a young woman named Leila who is trying to pursue her passions and ambitions while contending with Morocco’s societal constraints and becomes pregnant in an extramarital love affair.
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The promising drama’s Moroccan A-list cast also comprises rising star Brice Bexter (“Redemption Day,” “Seneca”); Amal Ayouch (“Eye on Juliet”); Mansour Badri (“Ghosts of Beirut”); Soraya Azzabi (“Billie’s Magic World”); Abdelhak Saleh (“Hounds”); and Sami Fekkak (“Testament: Story of Moses”).
“The Wound” is being produced by El Gouni and Taha Benghalem through their Marrakech-based company Pink Sheep Productions, which they co-founded after Benghalem served as general manager of the two top Moroccan film production facilities, Atlas Corporation Studios and CLA Studios.
Benghalem also wrote the screenplay for “The Wound,” while Brice Bexter served as the drama’s co-writer alongside his brother Brian Bexter.
“‘The Wound’ has been a profound journey for us at Pink Sheep Productions,” Benghalem said in a statement. “Through Leila’s story, we aimed to shine a light on the critical issues of women’s rights and personal freedom. This film is more than just a narrative; it’s a call to action, urging society to reflect and strive for equality.”
El Gouni noted in the statement that Leila’s story, though deeply Moroccan, has a global relevance that “highlights universal themes of struggle and resilience.”
The film, which wrapped in January in Casablanca, is lensed by Emmy-winning U.S. cinematographer Travis Tips, whose credits include “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” “Deadliest Catch” and “Barnwood Builders.”
Cairo-based indie Mad Solutions – which branched out into international film sales with the launch of Mad World at the Cannes Film Festival in May – will be releasing “The Wound” directly in movie theaters across the Middle East through its Mad Distribution unit. They will be selling the film to distributors in the rest of the world.
“‘The Wound’ is a formidable addition to the feminist cinema canon that bravely but elegantly challenges patriarchy and tradition while shedding light on how younger generations want to lead their lives,” said Mad Solutions co-founder Maher Diab.
“We’re happy to be partnering with El Gouni and the team behind her at Pink Sheep Productions,” added the company’s other co-founder, Alaa Karkouti. “With El Gouni’s extensive experience in production management and the vision at Pink Sheep to depict the generational shift currently happening in Morocco, we have no doubt that ‘The Wound’ will intrigue viewers around the region and world.”
Other Arab-language titles on Mad World’s international distribution slate include Egyptian director Rani Massalha’s political thriller “The Return of the Prodigal Son”; Lebanese director Nadim Tabet’s supernatural tale “In This Darkness I See You”; and Palestinian director Laila Abbas’ female empowerment drama “Thank You for Banking With Us.”
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