Challenging Yet Conforming: Female Filmmakers and the Hybrid Representation of Women in Moroccan Drama Series

This article examines the complex dynamics of challenge and conformity that female filmmakers navigate in their portrayal of women in contemporary Moroccan drama series. It explores the extent to which female-led filmmaking subverts traditional gender norms and promotes women’s empowerment in media representation. As agents of change, female directors are expected to provide nuanced, multi-dimensional, and empowering portrayals of women. This study aims to illuminate that, despite their efforts to address the underrepresentation of women in the male-dominated industry by centring women’s experiences, female filmmakers inadvertently continue to reinforce conventional stereotypes. Two prominent television series were selected, critically analysed and compared using a qualitative thematic analysis approach to substantiate this argument. The first, Dar Nsa (2024) (House of Women), is a drama series directed by Samia Akariou and aired on Al Aoula. The second, Al-Mukhtafi (2023) (The Disappeared), is a mystery drama by Zakia Tahiri, broadcast on 2M. Both filmmakers are acclaimed for their gender-focused endeavours to promote women’s rights, gender equality, and empowerment through their creative work. However, this study reveals that their recent works fail to achieve these objectives. Data analysed through a feminist theoretical framework demonstrates that female filmmakers adopt an ambivalent discourse, resulting in a constrained representation that reinforces embedded patriarchal norms instead of undermining them. Results also indicate that this ambivalence arises from structural pressures, market demands, and internalised gender norms. This research contributes to feminist media literature by highlighting that female-authored filmmaking does not necessarily lead to fully empowering narratives. It recommends that female filmmakers embrace more intentional feminist approaches to actively reshape the misrepresentation of women in Moroccan media