Halim is the master tailor in the caftan store he inherited from his father. He is a traditionalist, hand-sewing everything including the embroidery, eschewing machines .To help keep pace with his orders, he takes on new apprentice Youssef.
Even early on, we see Halim going to the baths, not just to get clean, but to meet men for sex, though that is something Halim struggles against. So it is difficult for him when he gets close to Youssef.
Halim's wife Mina is "his rock", and runs the front of store. Halim's earlier apprentices didn't work out, and she gets jealous when Youssef seems to enjoy the work, spending lots of time with Halim.
However, Mina is ailing, with bouts and periods of weakness, and eventually Youssef has to temporarily run the store, and is welcomed into the family.
The thread that runs thru the film is the titular caftan, custom-made for a rich woman with lots of embroidery, which master and apprentice work on all thru the story.
The film is a bit slow-moving, with scenes being repeated in variation. It seems to be like watching a caftan being sewn by hand, and therefore may be deliberate. However, it evokes the right mood, and is a delicate exposition of the various relationships.
Something I am puzzled about: every review mentions Morocco, yet in the scene with the police I thought I heard "Medina".
Even early on, we see Halim going to the baths, not just to get clean, but to meet men for sex, though that is something Halim struggles against. So it is difficult for him when he gets close to Youssef.
Halim's wife Mina is "his rock", and runs the front of store. Halim's earlier apprentices didn't work out, and she gets jealous when Youssef seems to enjoy the work, spending lots of time with Halim.
However, Mina is ailing, with bouts and periods of weakness, and eventually Youssef has to temporarily run the store, and is welcomed into the family.
The thread that runs thru the film is the titular caftan, custom-made for a rich woman with lots of embroidery, which master and apprentice work on all thru the story.
The film is a bit slow-moving, with scenes being repeated in variation. It seems to be like watching a caftan being sewn by hand, and therefore may be deliberate. However, it evokes the right mood, and is a delicate exposition of the various relationships.
Something I am puzzled about: every review mentions Morocco, yet in the scene with the police I thought I heard "Medina".