Trivia

Two sons born in Ireland: Neil, born on April 4, 1994, and Ryan, born on July 17, 1997.

Became an Irish citizen in 1994.

Friend to Dana Schondelmeyer since 1985, and life partners since 2000.

Journalists and film critics have called him "l'enfant terrible du cinéma marocain" (the bad boy of Moroccan cinema) since 1996. He received the Moroccan journalists' award for his first feature film "Ali, Rabiaa and the Others" in 2000.

Was expelled from school three times: the first time at the age of 14, the second time at 15 and the third time at 16. And that time it was for good.