Artists: Social drama in Morocco is developing and the audience is looking forward to quality

Rabat-

Although her name is Hind and she is an economics and accounting graduate, the title “Bint Al Sheikha” chases her with a sarcastic tone of bullying from the profession of “Sheikha” (a traditional folk singer), whether in the popular environment in which she lived with her mother, or in the aristocratic environment that she will move to after marrying Omar is a rich businessman who is older than her.

The series "Al Maktoob" has received increasing attention from the audience, and has received a great reaction since its inception, so what distinguished "Al Maktoob" to be at the top of the viewership?

What is the secret of the superiority of social drama in Morocco over comedy this Ramadan?

Most Viewed and Interacted

The series "Al Maktoob", which is broadcast by the Moroccan Channel 2, achieved a record number of viewers, and attracted nearly 7.5 million viewers during the first day of its broadcast, and reached 9 million and 635 thousand viewers during the eighth day of Ramadan, ranking it the highest viewing in the history of the series it produced. Moroccan TV.

The series enjoyed interaction on social media, as clips and scenes are circulated every day.

He also succeeded in being on the list of the most watched videos on the YouTube platform in Morocco since the first day of Ramadan.

Despite some controversy about some of the value implications and the different representations of a part of the audience, viewers and critics appreciated the dramatic work and considered it distinctive.

In an interview with Al-Jazeera Net, art critic and aesthetic researcher Abdullah Al-Sheikh believes that the series "Al-Maktoub" was able to gain the attention of recipients in general and their interaction with some exceptions, because it is woven in a narrative way and treated in an interesting output format.

The hero of "Al Maktoob" Amin Al Naji (Omar in the series), in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, considers that what distinguishes "Al Maktoob" is the young mentality, and a technical team with an adventurous thought that took risks, and was based on a veteran team of names that have weight in the art scene and young faces.

The Moroccan drama star added that the series' story is a clear story with a woven narrative, that managed to attract the audience.

simplicity and clarity

The series "Al Maktoob" revolves around the marriage of the wealthy Omar, played by the actor Amin Al-Naji, to the daughter of Sheikha Hind, played by the actress Hind Bin Jbara, and what this marriage entails in terms of situations and contradictions between two different social media and personalities, each defending its position and interests.

The scriptwriter of the series, Faten Al-Yousifi, tells Al-Jazeera Net that "Al-Makotoub" refers to a simple, linear drama, with limited decorations and a limited number of characters, in which the differentiation between the characters from the first episodes appears, and its events can be traced based on the character's characteristics and development.

Faten believes that the success of the work was distinguished by the equation of the right actor in the right place at the right time, believing that after two years of Corona and the succession of pressures, people became more inclined to simple drama.

Faten explains that the story revolves around Hind and Omar, who are trying to please the family, as Hind marries an older man to please her mother and society, and Omar marries his brother's wife to please his family, and the psychological and behavioral situations that entail.

For her part, Maryam Al-Zaimi, one of the heroes of "Al-Makotoub" (Al-Batool in the series), told Al-Jazeera Net, "I was impressed by the idea of ​​the series, which is based on cross-fertilization between two mediators, the Sheikha's world and an aristocratic scientist who has a wrong idea, as the general public, about one of the professions in society, in Whereas behavior is the most important, not the profession itself.

Maryam believes that the subject of "Sheikha" has been addressed in a series of dramas, and that what is new is taking the "Sheikha" from one medium to another, suffering from psychological and social fragility, in which everyone is afraid of his position.

Faten Al-Yousifi asserts, "We did not come to glorify the Sheikha or to criticize her. The Sheikha is a person who lives in a society that has her own rights and her rights."

critical reading

In a critical reading, presented by the aesthetic researcher Abdullah Al-Sheikh to Al-Jazeera Net, he states that:

• "Al Maktoob" is a romantic and emotional series that has invested its general structure in addition to the dialogues indicating the moments of silence and the overtones of music, and it employed all the conscious and unconscious aspects related to the psychology of the depths.

• The series works on the duality of the self and the other and is governed by the reality of the past and the unconscious according to the visual game and the tendencies of identification and projection, as not every central character was able to get rid of the remnants of her past and his wounds.

• The series translates mystical feelings in the light of the mechanisms of projection and the backgrounds of psychological resistance and narcissism immersed in selfishness and wars, visible and invisible, malicious and hidden under the umbrella of material interests.

• The series addressed the audience's conscience and psychological entity, despite the conservative voices on some dramatic situations, claiming that they violated the constants of the value and moral system.

Drama is superior to comedy

And about the superiority of drama during this season, Amin Al-Naji believes that social drama knows diligence, while the spectacle is sometimes imposed, indicating that the audience is aware and open to international productions and purposeful comedy, and is looking for a spectacle that fulfills its expectations and aspirations.

Al-Naji asserts that the public wants to see works of a good standard.

For his part, Abdullah Al-Sheikh asserts that "it is a natural thing for social drama to outperform comedy, because most of it is woven in an artistic way that meets the conditions of scriptural construction."

From the critic's point of view, Ramadan comedy recorded a quantitative extension of previous works, expressing his regret that the comedy episodes still did not live up to the expectations and artistic aspirations of viewers.

He noted that the comedies in most of them fell into the clutches of vulgarity to the point of triviality and fluidity, as they fell into the cycle of repetition, and the unjustified clamor prevailed in the comedy of situations, and he attributed this to the speed of preparation and the rush of directing, according to the critic's reading.

While Faten Al-Yousifi, who wrote for comedy and drama, believes that the story is the most important, whether presented with a dramatic or comic plot, explaining that works worldwide tend to mix between dramatic and comedic scenes at the same time.

The scriptwriter said that people like serious work interspersed with comic scenes, not laughter for the sake of laughter.

Drama in Morocco

Many artists believe that Moroccan drama is developing, and they aspire to the best in quantity and quality.

Amine Naji considers that the development of drama in Morocco is a result of a policy adopted by the public sector, which contributed to opening the door to productions.

Al-Naji monitors the presence of a positive and dynamic energy that is positively reflected in local drama, represented by working at the level of diagnosis, on the technical side, and diligence at the level of scriptwriting, in addition to competition between dramas after the opening of the field and the entry of a new channel, and the rise of a group of young directors with new ideas.

In turn, Maryam Al-Zaimi records a development that allows diversity for the recipient and a large space for choice and in response to various expectations.

However, Maryam added that "despite the delay in Moroccan drama compared to other countries, development inevitably affects it", recording an increase in the number of actors, the presence of a new generation, whether from the audience or from producers and directors, and the presence of training institutes.

In the same context, Faten Al-Yousifi says, "We are trying to respond to the aspirations of the audience, and local social drama proves its seriousness. Today, there are many series and there are Moroccan stars and diversity in productions, and we aspire to take advantage of this momentum for greater quality," and