Bouchra (2025), is an animated feature length film. co-directed by Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2025. The film went on to screen at the 63rd New York Film Festival (NYFF), Chicago International Film Festival, La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival (2025), Chéries-Chéris Festival (2025), and ICA London (Institute of Contemporary Arts).
Synopsis
A Moroccan filmmaker in New York, is paralyzed by the fear of the blank page. A phone call with her mother in Casablanca will have memories resurfacing. Their tender yet complex exchange sparks a creative breakthrough, opening a journey through family bonds, daughterhood, and the thrill of love.
Bouchra received the Grand Prix at the Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux, the Gold Q-Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival (OutLook Program), the “Nouvelles Vagues” Prize at the La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival, the Prix du Jury at Chéries-Chéris, the Ciné+ OCS Distribution Support Prize at Entrevues Belfort, the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award, and more. The film is distributed by Film Movement and will have U.S. and French theatrical releases in summer 2026.
2 Lizards (2020), is an animated series, co-directed by Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani, was described by The New York Times as “hypnotic… deploying a blend of documentary structure and animation surrealism… both poignantly grounded in actual events and also soothingly fantastical,” with its animated protagonists called “art stars” (Jon Caramanica, April 2020). The series was acquired for the permanent collections of MoMA, MOCA, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as private collections.
Destiny (2016) is a 17-minute documentary that follows Princess Nokia (real name Destiny Frasqueri) through a mix of personal moments, revealing how her music and persona are deeply rooted in her lived experience
Barki directed shot and edited the film, bringing a raw, observational lens to the portrait.
Countin’ Up (2019) is a 20-minute long documentary directed shot and edited by Orian Barki for The FADER that offers an intimate portrait of Rico Nasty, navigating her roles as both an artist and a young mother, showing her caring for her son Cameron while balancing the pressures and realities of her music career.
Cool Wind (2022) is a 10-minute documentary directed, shot, and edited by Orian Barki. The film follows the creative process of artist Meriem Bennani as she develops her tornado installation on the High Line in New York City.
Shooting Days (2008) is Orian Barki’s first film, a 30-minute coming-of-age short documentary made from video diary materials.