MAIN CHARACTERS
VERA
VESSEL OF CHANGE
Vera is our central protagonist, a free spirited young woman haunted by the tumultuous legacy of her family's past. Perched atop a rugged Moroccan coastline, she grapples with the ghosts of her mother Leyla's Iranian roots and her father Fabio's shattered dreams, undone by the arrival of a darker era, the season of the witch. Pregnant with her boyfriend Rachid's child, Vera stands at a crossroads. As she delves deeper into her mother's past, Vera must confront the looming presence of her ruthless uncle Khosrow, who seeks to control dark secrets buried in her mothers memoirs. Will Vera’s free spirit break the age old spell ?
LEYLA
VOICE OF TRUTH
Leyla, Vera's mother, fled the demanding constraints of her Iranian aristocratic upbringing, only to become entangled in the web of her half-brother Khosrow's ambitions in London's 60’s Swinging scene. A free-spirited poet, Leyla fully embraced the optimism and idealism of the 1960s. However, as the decade gave way to a darker era, Leyla found herself swept up in the pursuit of wealth and power of her venomous brother, her own dreams and principles intimately compromised. The recordings and writings she leaves behind as a testament to her daughter Vera serve as a legacy for generations to come, a haunting reminder of the broken possibilities that had shaped the sixties.
FABIO
HEART OF DARKNESS
Fabio, Vera's Casablanca Jewish-Moroccan father, had launched the psychedelic desert rock band Jay & The Dark Theaters taking them all the way from little town Essaouira to London and all the way to San Francisco - their success ultimately undone by Jay’s tragic overdose. Fabio - a striking looking politically engaged, street wise and good hearted music producer lost his grip over his friend Jay as Mikee Le Bee’s powerful influence over the band paved the way to disaster. Shaken at the core, his timely fusional love story with Leyla enables them to elaborate an escape plan out of the heart of darkness…
M.
MASTER
Relocated in Essaouira from Mali sometime in the far past, M. plays a pivotal role in Vera’s life, always present as the ageless spiritual guardian of parental memories. M. is Jay’s father establishing the original connection to Fabio via Jay, shaping the band’s cross cultural musical sensibilities. When Vera's mother Leyla disappears, she entrusts M. with a cache of personal tapes and writings, putting him in a precarious position between his loyalty to the family and his ties to Vera's ruthless uncle, Khosrow. As present-day Vera uncovers these recordings, M. becomes a crucial guide, helping her navigate the emotional and cultural landscapes that defined her parents' lives and ultimately, her own.
KHOSROW
THE EVIL EYE
Khosrow, Vera's uncle, is a powerful music industry operator who seeks to control Leyla’s tapes and poems that hold secrets he wishes to erase. As Leyla's half-brother, Khosrow was deeply involved in the Swinging London scene, indulging in his forbidden sexuality, hidden away from the scrutiny of his conservative family. He pulls every trick in the book to leverage his connections and ambition to pursue wealth and gain influence. But his vicious jealous nature and ruthless pursuit of power has cast a long shadow over the family, as he now looms as the final obstacle to Vera’s quest to break the cycle of discord.
JAMEEL AKA JAY
ZEITGEIST VICTIM
Frontman and creative force behind Jay & The Dark Theaters, Jay is of Malian Bambara descent, but born in Essaouira on the Moroccan Atlantic Coast. His music blends the rich musical traditions of his African origins with the psychedelic rock sensibilities of the 1960s counterculture. Jay and his close friend Fabio embody the culturally fluid spirit of the project, establishing sound as platform breeding culturally open interconnectivity. However, as the sixties give way to harsher vibrations, Jay’s dreams were ultimately shattered by his heroin overdose - a habit cynically fuelled by the relentless drive of his new manager, Mikee Le Bee.
MIKEE LE BEE
HARD ROCK
Loosely based on Jimi Hendrix's manager, Le Bee is the Texan manager of Jay & The Dark Theaters. Spotting Jay in San Francisco, Mikee Le Bee took over management from Fabio, determined to catapult Jay & The Dark Theaters to international fame. However, Mikee Le Bee's ambition is fueled by a dark, addictive nature - pushing Jay into drug abuse in order to maintain control. Mikee Le Bee's ruthless tactics mirror the larger forces at play at the time, reshaping the cultural landscape. His story stands as a testimony of the corrosion of the sixties ideals.
RACHID
NATURE BOY
Rachid is Vera's romantic partner, a champion windsurfer deeply connected to the natural world. Together, they navigate the challenges of balancing their free-spirited lifestyle with local customs, traditions, and expectations surrounding Rachid's impending fatherhood. As Vera yearns for unfettered exploration and self-discovery, Rachid is faced with reconciling his love for the open seas with the responsibilities of providing a stable home for their child. This tension comes to a head, but by the end of the film, Vera and Rachid decide to honor their commitment to each other, getting married and finding a way to blend their divergent needs and values, giving Vera the necessary stability to complete her quest.