Le Regard

Le Regard is Nour-Eddine Lakhmari's first film. It is a film about abuse of power, guilt, and redemption. In Le Regard, 70-year-old French photographer Albert Tueis finds himself confronted with his past. As he prepares for an exhibition that will bring together all the works from his photographic career, he remembers the photos he took at the age of 19. A soldier during Morocco's war of independence, the young Albert was a photographer for the French army. The photos he took at the time were never published. One thing is clear: without these photos, the retrospective of his career will not be complete. Albert Tuies decides to return to Morocco to find the negatives he buried there. But he finds himself confronted with a new Morocco. And as he encounters the present and the rivalries and difficulties it hides, increasingly powerful and brutal images from the past resurface.

Directed by Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, Le Regard leans on a strong ensemble — Jacques Zabor, Hassan Essakali, Khalid Benchegra — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about war titles of 2005.