Plot

FAMA: HEROISM WITHOUT GLORY celebrates the life and career of Me Fama, the Moroccan revolutionary who fought against French and Spanish troops before Morocco was granted its independence in 1956. After fleeing home at the age of eighteen, Fama was imprisoned by Spanish colonists when she set fire to a barley field run by collaborators. She later aided the resistance by supplying them with stolen weapons and by organizing assistance for the families of Moroccan combatants. Once Morocco gained independence, Fama continued to fight for equality and justice as a founding member of the Democratic Association for Women's Rights. As Fama leads director Dalila Ennadre to sites associated with the revolution, she recounts events from her past, explaining what it means to stand by your beliefs and maintain your honor, even in the face of torture. Somewhat of a celebrity in Morocco, Fama is repeatedly stopped on the street by people offering a friendly greeting or by youngsters who want to share a joke. FAMA: HEROISM WITHOUT GLORY is a beautiful tribute to this remarkable woman who, sadly, passed away only a few months after this film was completed.—Alex Williams