Mokhtar is a Canadian short drama film, directed by Halima Ouardiri and released in 2010.
[1] Shot in Morocco, the film centres on a young boy from a family of goatherds, who brings home an injured owl but must confront his superstitious father's belief that the bird is an omen of bad luck.
[1] The film was based on a true story, told to Ouardiri by the handyman who worked for a family she was staying with on a trip to Morocco, about his own childhood experience.
[1] It was subsequently screened at the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival, where Ouardiri won the award for Most Promising Director of a Canadian Short Film.
[3] The film was named to TIFF's year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2010,[4] and was a shortlisted Jutra Award nominee for Best Live Action Short Film at the 13th Jutra Awards in 2011.