Hello everyone,
I'm a Moroccan writer developing a historical drama feature film titled Maria and the Melodi: Ballad of Mazagan, set in 16th-century Mazagan, Morocco.
The story explores identity, exile, family, memory, and the meeting of Moroccan, Portuguese, and Andalusian worlds.
I'm joining Stage 32 to connect with screenwriters, producers, directors, actors, and other filmmakers interested in historical and international cinema.
The project is currently in development, and I'm interested in learning, receiving constructive feedback, and building potential international collaborations.
I'm happy to connect with filmmakers from Morocco, Portugal, France, Spain, and beyond.
Looking forward to meeting the community.
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Salah edinne Bella Maria and the Melodi sounds like such a rich setting, 16th-century Mazagan at that crossroads of cultures is such fertile ground for a historical drama. What drew you to that specific time and place?
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Salah edinne Bella Welcome Maria and the Melodi sounds like rich material 16th century Mazagan at the intersection of Moroccan, Portuguese and Andalusian worlds is a period and setting that rarely gets the screen treatment it deserves. Identity and exile told through that kind of cultural collision has real international appeal. What stage is the script at right now and what kind of feedback are you looking for?
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Welcome to the community, @Salah.
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Thank you very much for yours thoughtful responses
I'm actually a novelist as well as a screenwriter. Maria and the Melodi: Ballad of Mazagan began as a historical novel, which has already been published digitally. I am now developing it as an international feature film project.
The film project is currently in development. I have prepared the logline, synopsis, treatment, character profiles, and an initial pitch deck, but I have intentionally left the full screenplay open for further development.
At this stage, I'm particularly looking for feedback on the story structure, character development, cinematic potential, and international positioning, especially for a potential Moroccan–Portuguese co-production.
I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts and connect with you here on Stage 32.
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Salah edinne Bella Thank you for sharing all that, sounds like you've built a really solid foundation already, logline through pitch deck! A novel-to-film adaptation with that kind of cultural crossroads has real international potential. I'd love to hear more about the story itself, what's at the emotional core of Maria and Melodi's journey? Just sent you a message to your inbox too!
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Salah edinne Bella Thanks for the detail, Salah! With the logline, synopsis, treatment, and pitch deck already done, you're in great shape. I'd love to dig into story structure and the Moroccan-Portuguese co-production angle with you. Accepted your request let's continue from there!
You're welcome, Salah edinne Bella. Congratulations on your novel being published digitally and your feature film being in development! Stage 32 has feedback services (www.stage32.com/scriptservices).