Chikha

Zahoua Raji

Raji Zahoua, born in Brussels in 1980 to Moroccan parents, grew up in a strict Catholic environment. She studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels and worked for five years as a makeup artist and costume designer in Moroccan TV and film. Passionate about fashion and literature, she traveled widely to photograph people and is preparing her first photo exhibition in Paris and Casablanca. Zahoua admires Moroccan “Chikhates” singers and dancers and co-wrote the screenplay for Chikha with Ayoub Layoussifi and Yamina Zarou, inspired by real-life stories. She currently lives in Paris.

Ayoub Layoussifi

Moroccan actor, writer, and director

Ayoub Layoussifi, born in Casablanca in 1983, is a Moroccan actor, writer, and director based between France and Morocco. He trained at the Actors Studio in Paris and earned a Master’s in Directing and Creation. His notable works include the award-winning documentary Dis-moi Mohammed... and the short film Tikitat-A-Soulima. Since 2012, he has also worked as an educational facilitator and, since 2019, lectures at the Institut International de l’Image et du Son (3IS), guiding students in fiction writing and filmmaking.