ILKLEY Film Society makes a strong start to the second half of its current season with the exquisite Moroccan film The Blue Caftan on Sunday, January 7th (8pm, Ilkley Playhouse).

Mina and her husband Halim, a superb craftsman, run a caftan store in Salé, a coastal suburb of the capital, Rabat. When Halim decides to train the handsome young Youssef as an apprentice tensions appear in the marriage, though not perhaps in the way one might expect.

Writer/director Maryam Touzani is one of the most impressive younger talents in world cinema. Not only did The Blue Caftan win the audience award for the most popular film at the 2022 Leeds International Film Festival but her previous film, Adam, was voted seventh in the same list !

Both films star the brilliant Belgian-Moroccan actress Lubna Azabal whose wide-ranging international career in three languages includes the BBC spy series The Honourable Woman.

The Blue Caftan was also Morocco's entry for the 2023 Academy Awards and is likely to be of special interest to those interested in handicrafts as well as cinema.

Guests are welcome, as always, but should phone Dave Howell on 01943 430097 to ensure admission.

Further information about the film and the rest of the Film Society season can be found at www.ilkleyfilmsociety.org.uk