Word-of-mouth, the saviour of so many independent films, rescued the drama from oblivion with praise for its cinematography, acting and emotional power. It won the festival's first prize before collecting over 30 other international awards. It was ultimately put forward as Morocco's Oscar submission for Best Foreign Film.

Slums would be too grand a word to describe the movie's setting - the bleak and brutal wastelands of modern-day Casablanca where hoards of abandoned children fight, cheat and steal to stay alive. Gangs view violence as a necessity for survival; occasional glimpses of beauty found in advertisements or the faces of middle-class strangers seem like intrusions from another world.

The story follows three young friends after the loss of their leader, Ali Zaoua, a strong-willed liar whose fantasies prove so potent to his comrades that they term him a prince and talk reverently about "his island", a mystical fabrication with two suns and no problems.

DID YOU KNOW?
	Although raised in Paris, director Nabil Ayouch is half-Moroccan, returning to his father's homeland to shoot Ali Zaoua.    Saïd Taghmaoui, who plays Dib, was one of the few professional actors to appear in the film. He previously starred in the George Clooney movie, Three Kings.

Director Nabil Ayouch does not waste time charting their loss of innocence. Prostitution, rape, glue-sniffing and even murder represent normality to this ragged bunch of wastrels. But movingly, we see the youths' childlike desires and superstitions existing alongside their more selfish, savvy sensibilities.

Ayouch's direction proves pacey and brave, with some marvelously inventive animation. His master-stoke, however, was casting real-life street children as his protagonists, each delivering forceful and incredibly natural performances which lend the piece vitality and believability. This may be grim, harrowing cinema, but with its visual delights and strong leads it's more enjoyable than its downbeat premise suggests, offering an arresting insight into a remarkable society.