Italian Film ‘The Roses of Marrakesh’ Finds Its Home in the Red City

Ginevra Elkann’s new feature brings Fanny Ardant and a Moroccan cast together in Marrakech’s Palmeraie.

September 29, 2026

Casablanca – Marrakech takes center stage in Ginevra Elkann’s new feature film, “The Roses of Marrakesh,” an intimate story set inside the historic Aïn Kassimou estate in the city’s Palmeraie.

The film stars French actress Fanny Ardant as Madame Isabelle, an older woman living in the secluded estate, alongside Moroccan actors Nisrin Erradi, Ahmed Hammoud, Jalila Talemsi, and Boubker Fahmi.

Elkann, the granddaughter of late Fiat chief Gianni Agnelli, directed the film as her third feature and she co-wrote the screenplay with Babak Jalali and Chiara Barzini.

The film centers on Leila, the devoted housekeeper of Madame Isabelle’s estate. She keeps the household running with meticulous care, preserving the quiet order of a world that seems almost untouched by time.

Leila develops a quiet friendship with Yusef, the estate’s head gardener, played by Ahmed Hammoud. Their peaceful routine changes when Leila’s sister arrives unexpectedly and reveals a painful secret from their shared past.

The revelation begins to shake the carefully maintained balance of the household, bringing questions of love, pain, tenderness, and the ways people survive difficult experiences to the center of the story.

Elkann described “The Roses of Marrakesh” as a small story about love, surviving personal pain, and the tenderness people find along the way. She also described the film as a deeply personal project through which she sought something true and universal.

From the Agnelli estate to the big screen

Aïn Kassimou, the historic Agnelli family residence in Marrakech’s Palmeraie, provides the film’s main setting. The property gives the story a secluded backdrop, with the estate’s gardens and walls creating the intimate world where its characters live and work.

The film is a co-production between Italy, Morocco, and France. Asmara Films, Tessalit Productions, Rai Cinema, and Moroccan production company Agora Films are behind the project, with producers Fabrizio Mosca, Jean Bréhat, and Souad Lamriki.

Marrakech heads to the international screen

The film has already attracted international attention, with Rome-based sales company True Colours handling its international sales and Lucky Red distributing it in Italy.

“The Roses of Marrakesh” is also part of the 2026 Rome Film Fest program.

With its Italian director, French star, and Moroccan cast and setting, the film places Marrakech at the heart of a cross-border cinematic story while bringing a distinctly Moroccan backdrop to an international production.