Fez — The short film “Milk Brothers,” written and directed by Moroccan filmmaker Kenza Tazi, has been selected for the international competition at ShortFest Buenos Aires, whose second edition is set to take place in January 2026.
Running 18 minutes, the film is set in Fez during a period when the Foundouk of Breastfeeding represented a structured form of female solidarity. In this space, women breastfed abandoned newborns or infants whose mothers were unable to nurse.
Children fed by the same woman were considered “milk siblings,” bound by a socially and morally recognized kinship.
A story of motherhood and social barriers
“Milk Brothers” follows Meriem, a young single mother entrusted with Karam, an abandoned infant. Through repeated acts of breastfeeding, a profound maternal bond forms between them. Meriem, portrayed by Moroccan actress Nadia Kounda, hopes to raise Karam alongside her biological son, Ghali.
Her request is refused due to persistent prejudice against single mothers, yet Meriem remains determined to protect the bond she has built. The film places emotional attachment and care at the center of its narrative, challenging rigid definitions of family and legitimacy.
Revisiting a forgotten practice
By focusing on milk kinship, the film revisits a lesser-known social practice rooted in Moroccan history, where women created alternative systems of care beyond blood ties. The story highlights how solidarity and responsibility often emerged in response to institutional and social constraints, particularly for women.
Fez serves not only as a backdrop but as an active historical and emotional landscape, grounding the film in lived traditions and collective memory.
A first film shaped through the lens
Trained in cinema between Paris and Berlin, Tazi studied at La Sorbonne and the MetFilm School, specializing in cinematography. After working on numerous projects as a director of photography, “Milk Brothers” marks her first short film as a director.
Tazi also served as the film’s cinematographer, an artistic choice that allowed her to closely align image, rhythm, and emotional tone, particularly in scenes centered on intimacy and care.
International recognition for Moroccan cinema
The selection of “Milk Brothers” at ShortFest Buenos Aires places the film within an international platform dedicated to emerging voices and socially engaged storytelling. The festival’s competition spotlights debut works that translate local histories into universal human questions.
As the film prepares to screen in Buenos Aires, its selection underscores the growing visibility of Moroccan women filmmakers and the ability of culturally specific stories to resonate far beyond their place of origin.
