Mourad Zaoui and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film The Forgiven, idealism and access, the truth found in parables, the magic of newfoundland, walking the journey little by little and acknowledging and respecting others.

Synopsis:

Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes, Caleb Landry Jones, Christopher Abbott, Saïd Taghmaoui, and Marie-Josée Croze lead a stellar ensemble cast in this wild foray into opulence, sin, and reckoning set deep in the Moroccan desert.

On the verge of divorce, wealthy couple David (Fiennes) and Jo (Chastain, also appearing at the Festival in The Eyes of Tammy Faye) are on their way to a lavish weekend party, and accidentally run over and kill a young Moroccan man trying to sell fossils by the roadside. They put his body in their car and arrive at the party at a mansion hosted by a worldly gay couple. Once the body is tucked away in the bowels of the villa, the partygoers return to the circus of dancing, drugs, and debauchery. The next morning, David’s buzz becomes a hangover as he’s forced to reckon with the boy’s father and meet his own fate. For the others, the party must go on.

Making his TIFF debut, John Michael McDonagh (The Guard) applies a Felliniesque lens towards the bourgeoisie, showing how their vapid pursuits prey on (or ignore) the livelihoods of others, sometimes with deadly results. The shimmer of these events, contrasted with the bleakness of the working class and Moroccan help who observe from the periphery, allows McDonagh to explore fatalistic themes of hedonism, neocolonialism, and the negligence of privilege.

A weekend of fun reveals a world of oppression in this bold and sly critique driven by star-studded performances.

With thanks to TIFF

About Mourad:

After earning his bachelor's degree in business communication at the Lycée Elbilia in Casablanca in 1999, he moved to New York City to study English at Queens College. It was there that he discovered his passion for theatre and cinema.

In 2005, at the age of 25, Mourad was cast as the lead role in his first feature film, Wake Up Morocco. His first film role proved to be a difficult experience, as Mourad suffered from injuries from a motorcycle accident right before filming, as well as an appendicitis attack during filming. Despite these initial hurdles, Mourad persevered in his acting career, moving on to being cast in more than 60 film and television projects in Morocco and around the world.

When he is not acting, Mourad enjoys surfing, fashion, motor sports, and martial arts.

Image Copyright and Credit: Mourad Zaoui.

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

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