Mehdya Fassi Fihri stopped by to deliver us some gems on what it means to be a Brooklyn artist.

Interview conducted by Stetson Hines

Where are you from?

Morocco

What city did you grow up in?

Rabat, the capital of Morocco, I grow up between Casablanca in Morocco and Brussels in Belgium.

Can you tell me what it was like growing up in morocco? 

It’s where my family. Is Morocco is very family-based? Morocco,o I guess, is a Muslim country by the law. The laws are based on religion, so every time we have a holiday,y it’s based on the Muslim calendar, is so when it’s Ramadan, the whole country is fasting. Also, it’s pretty dangerous. Casablanca is a pretty big city because it’s a big and wide city it’s not very safe being a woman. At night walking the street,s I didn’t walk the streets in Casablanca. It’s not as free as New York or some other cities in Europe,e I would say.

How was it as a kid growing up? 

I was close to my family.y I have a lot of cousins; I guess Moroccans make a lot of kids. My cousins and Iins were close. We would meet for lunch at my grandmother's, and my family would have occasional family reunions. I ended up going to a French school in Morocc,o in which I learned how to speak Arabic and French. It’s a country where we speak many different languages like Spanish, Moroccan Arabic, Classical Arabic, and French. I spent most of my teenage life in Europe,e living in Belgium from age 13-18, and when I was younger,r I lived in Morocco from 9-. It was two different experiences. Growing up in Africa and Europe has a lot to do with my identity, especially now living in New York for three years adds something else.

Was it difficult growing up in Morocco between Belgium? 

It was difficult for me because I didn’t want to go to Belgium, but I had to move there just because my dad had worked there. Plus they didn’t ask me if you wanted to move there or if I was ready we just moved an,d, so I left all my friends and family. And it was to a new country. Thank God I spoke the language we were in Brussels where they speak French and German luckily I was in the French part. But it was still different because I was far from my family, and I never thought I belong.

Is Morocco the same today? 

I think a lot of things did change. We also have a new king who has done many things on behalf of a woman,n such as creating new laws. It’s going slowly, but their still a lot of work to do, especially education-wise, human rights-wise.

When did you start acting? 

When I was 17, and it was just by chance,e I just tried an acting class in Belgium. I had never taken an acting class before, plus I was timid, so it was tough for me to act and go on stage. But I knew this is where I would find my freedom through the text, and the teacher was inspiring, and I felt this is where I want to be, but I was terrified.

When did you know that you wanted to start acting? 

When I was 18 years old, I traveled to Paris to attend an intensive summer program at a famous popular acting school. After that summer semester, I would find out whether I was accepted into one of the most prestigious acting schools in Paris. While studying abroad in California and taking classes in San Diego to sharpen my English, I received the news that I was accepted into the acting school in Paris. I remember vividly buying a one-way ticket from San Diego to Paris and using all the money in my bank account to fly to Paris alone. I also recall my parents being against me becoming an actress,s especially my mo,m who tried hard to unpack my clothing while I am visiting home.

Who introduced you to acting? 

My friend introduced me to acting. She was the one who took me to the acting class one day after school when I was 17 years old. Also, my acting teacher had a great influence on me. He confirmed my ambition that I could become an actress.

Are you working on anything right now? 

I’m working on a film currently at the moment. I also have a brilliant idea about doing a play on Italian feminist authors. I would be adding additional songs and scenes into the screenplay that I will be performing. I’m working on a film with an American Morocco director who’s shooting a few scenes in Morocco and a few short films that will be out soon.

When did you move to Brooklyn? 

6 years ago, I remembered flying into JFK airport, and Brooklyn is one of the first places I visited when I got to New York. It was at night time it was very industry, al but at the same time, it was cool. New York was beautiful to me. I knew it was a place I had to be.

What made you move to New York?

I had lived in Paris for almost 6 years after attending acting school. I decided that I need more space. I f.elt very contained in Paris. Theirs this thing in my head that I always imagined about America having more space. And that it’s this image of space in America that would allow me to find my place due to the amount of space America has to grow, especially in a place like New York.

How has Morocco shaped you into the person you are today? 

Interestingly, you ask me this question. Theirs a quote from a Lebanese French author who has written many books self-identity in which he talks about identity, the way we are shaped, how we look at people, how we are put in boxes, how we look at a person, and if we change the way we look at a person it will have an impact on the person too. Because we all look at a person based on so many things.