Pegasus (Pegase) Mohamed Mouftakir, Morocco, 2010, 104 minutes
Zineb is an emotionally exhausted psychiatrist assigned to Rihana, a traumatized and pregnant young woman found in the street muttering unintelligibly about the “Lord of the Horse.” A flashback sequence returns us to Rihana’s childhood, where her dictatorial father, horseman chief of his tribe, raises her as the son his legacy demands. Trapped in parental delusions, Rihana falls in love with a young man with whom she carves out the beginnings of her own life. Soon, Rihana’s story awakens repressed thoughts in Zineb’s own troubled mind, and reality merges into a haunted fever-dream of fear and denial in this visually striking, award-winning psychological thriller. Arabic, with English subtitles.
Global Lens 2012 is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Each film in the series is selected for its authentic voice, strong cinematics and unique cultural perspective, opening a window to the diverse world in which we live. More information can be found at www.globalfilm.org.