Abdellah Taïa’s sophomore feature is described as “a queer ode to the seemingly carefree time of youth,” but it proves a little carefree in its depiction of two young people whiling away time in the Moroccan beach resort that gives the film its title. Although boasting languidly sensual atmosphere to spare thanks to its setting and sexy, young lead performers, , receiving its world premiere at the , ultimately proves frustrating with its purposefully oblique narrative. The story, such as it is, revolves around Jaafar (Youness Beye, ) and his female friend Soundouss (Oumaima Barid, ), who arrive at a lavish villa rented by Jaafar’s lover, Jonathan, who is supposed to arrive later.
But he doesn’t show up, and isn’t responding to Jaafar’s messages. So the pair sit around, spending time hanging out at the beach, leafing through the home’s lavishly illustrated, movie-themed coffee table books, and waiting. And waiting.
(And, for some reason, they sleep next to each other in the same room despite the palatial house clearly having multiple bedrooms.) Eventually, different people start to show up, including a man who tells them he recently got out of prison after serving a three-year sentence and who stays as a guest. In the middle of the night, he shows up in the room Soundouss and Jaafar are sleeping in, asking if he could join them because he’s scared by the villa.
The owner of the house later shows up as well, to check on things. Running out of money, Jaafar b.