Abstract

At the intersection of architecture and cinema, this article explores the evolution of Casablanca’s cinematic representation, marking a transition from ‘city-as-decor’ to ‘city-as-character’ through the historical and urban transformations of the metropolis.
On one hand, the analysis draws on the historical context to trace the evolution of Casablanca’s various interconnected urban figures from 1919 to the present day-moving from the city-as-décor and showcase-city to the machine-city, city-as-character, and archive-city (memory). This specific approach reveals how cinematic portrayal has mirrored the diverse mutations of the Casablancaise metropolis.
On the other hand, the study explores the rupture initiated by contemporary filmmakers such as Noureddine Lakhmari and Faouzi Bensaïdi. The metropolis emerges as a dark, brutal, and mysterious protagonist, ultimately displacing the myth of the ‘White City’ that persisted for several decades.