Cairo — The 44th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival kicked off Sunday with the participation of 97 films from 52 countries, including Morocco.

Moroccan cinema is present at this festival through the film "Jalal Eddine" by Hassan Benjelloun, which competes for the "Horizons of Arab Cinema" and "Best Arab Film" awards.

The events of the film revolve around the character of "Jalal Eddine" who refuses to accept the death of his wife and decides to isolate himself until he finds the light within himself. Twenty years later, Jalal Eddine becomes a Sufi master who lives with his disciples.

The lead role in this feature film was played by Yassin Ahajjam, the Tunisian artist Fatima Nasser and the Moroccan artist Fatima Zahra Balladi.

Morocco is also present at this international festival by the film "oasis d'eau gelée", a Moroccan-French co-production directed by Mohamed Raouf Sebbahi. The film will be screened in the competition "International Critics' Week".

The film tells the story of "Fadila", an emergency doctor who marries Kader after a love affair. As they are about to divorce, Kader is diagnosed with terminal cancer, becoming the most worrying case in Fadila's life.