THE STORY – Two young women leave their native Morocco to work as seasonal laborers picking strawberries in Southern Spain. Hoping to return home and provide a better life for their families, their dreams clash with a harsh reality: abuse, harassment, and undignified working conditions at the hands of their employers. The bond they share as unified sisterhood, empowers them to rise above their situation, despite the risks that are needed to advocate for their rights. They must make the difficult decision to speak out against a powerful patriarchal system, risking everything for their own personal justice.
THE CAST – Nisrin Erradi, Hajar Graigaa, Hind Braik, Fatima Attif & Itsaso Arana
THE TEAM – Laïla Marrakchi (Director/Writer) & Delphine Agut (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 101 Minutes
There is a certain type of power that art exudes when it refuses to look away from uncomfortable current events or harsh realities of life. Every year without fail, an exuberance of films arrives that aim to challenge preconceived notions, discuss difficult topics, or tackle important world events from new perspectives. One such subject, as timely as it is significant, is that of immigrant stories. And while not every crucial film can enjoy the honor of premiering at global film festivals and benefit from the exposure they bring, some deserving projects make the cut. One such film is this year’s “Strawberries” (“La Más Dulce”) from Moroccan writer-director Laïla Marrakchi.
“Strawberries” arrives at Cannes to paint a very real portrait of the rampant exploitation in just one part of the world: the fruit-picking fields of rural Spain. The film follows Hasna (Nisrin Erradi), a mother who has been forced to leave her family and home country, Morocco, behind to seek a better-paying job abroad. She’s to join other foreign workers for the season, arduously picking strawberries under the extreme Spanish heat for little pay, and all while enduring unacceptable living conditions. The pay comes late, the men overseeing the work have wandering hands with ill intentions, and the poor quality of life of the women is exacerbated by illness and low morale. When Hasna’s friend and coworker, Meriem (Hajar Graigaa), is assaulted and taken advantage of by the lead jefe, Nacho (Fran Cantos), and becomes dangerously sick, Hasna doesn’t hesitate to act out, spurring unrest amongst the pickers and, in turn, threatening not only the positions but the lives of the women around them.
Hasna reaches out for help and contacts a Spanish lawyer, Pilar (Itsaso Arana), who, along with a translator, is eager to help and determined to thoroughly investigate the workplace, despite threats and a show of force by the men behind the whole operation. After Meriem is successfully moved to a hospital for treatment, Pilar and her team conclude that the work environment is not only discriminatory but also unsafe and inhumane, with a plethora of health and worker violations. After conducting detailed and personal outreach with the workers, they decided each woman needs to go to court and testify if this operation is to be shut down permanently, even if it means risking the women’s means of income and being sent home.
Erradi is fantastic as Hasna, whose character embodies a global network of women and displaced individuals seeking a better life or opportunities abroad. Alongside her is standout Arana as the fierce and unstoppable force of a lawyer, Pilar. When these two women share the screen, “Strawberries” really shines, as their interactions and conversations breed empathy, ardor, and a real-life hunger for justice. Tristan Galand’s immersive cinematography creates a suffocating, tangible environment for the audience to experience alongside the suffering workers, and Zineb Andress Arraki (ZAA)’s production design is an undersung element that creates a believable, stifling, and panic-inducing environment through its realism.
Although the film’s message is powerful, it could have been elevated with more fully developed characters and a slightly tighter plot. It’s made known that Hasna is trained in taekwondo, but no explanation is provided. The audience is also shown that she has a son through her nightly gaze into a photograph of a smiling child, but we know little to nothing about him. The characters, at times, feel like symbols representing a larger people rather than realized individuals, though solid performances from their portrayers overshadow this minor qualm. “Strawberries” also has a tendency to linger a bit too long at times, not knowing when to cut away or embrace slightly more concise scenes, which makes the already tight 101-minute runtime feel meandering and drawn out.
Marrakchi’s “Strawberries” doesn’t shy away from showing, without censor, just one example of the tough reality that immigrants and displaced people face consistently. From those escaping their own war-torn countries to seeking a better life across a border, it’s obvious there is no shortage of injustice on every square meter across the globe. “Strawberries” may center on Moroccan women seeking better opportunities in Spain. Still, it’s a collective tale highlighting a broader spectrum: underrepresented people, women, and individuals seeking a better life for themselves and their loved ones. It’s imperative that, especially in today’s world, films like “Strawberries” be made and celebrated, as their mere existence is an act of defiance and a symbol of justice.
