It all begins with a controversial kiss of the hand… Fatiha is on the verge of marrying the man her grandfather chose for her long ago. But her fiancé's disturbing views (he claims that, in the eyes of Islam, even a kiss of the hand is forbidden before marriage) shock her.
So Fatiha and her friend Jessica, an American researching Moroccan family law reforms, decide to embark on a journey through Morocco in search of answers to her questions about virginity, sex and Islam.
THE VIRGIN DIARIES is the story of their travels and their investigation, from ancient Islamic schools to the Saharan camel markets, from the offices of city doctors (the most common minor surgery in Morocco is the repair of the hymen) to beachside resorts.
Inevitably, this defiant quest produces few answers and lots of trouble. And things definitively skid out of control when Fatiha does the unthinkable and falls in love for the first time. Fatiha's random (or predestined?) encounter with a charming stranger suddenly pits duty against desire.
"Highly Recommended! An important movie for understanding contemporary Islam and traditional Middle Eastern cultures. This informative video would be useful in both women's studies and religious studies classes. The color and picture quality are excellent. The sound is clear and the soundtrack's ethnic music is both unobtrusive and appropriate."—Educational Media Reviews Online
2004 Society for Photograpic Education Film Festival
2003 National Women's Studies Association Film Festival
2003 Brooklyn International Film Festival
2002 Middle East Studies Association FilmFest