Life & Work with Aymen Ifanguer of Casablanca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aymen Ifanguer.

Hi Aymen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Aymen Ifanguer is a Moroccan filmmaker, actor, and music producer. His passion for cinema started in childhood, when he would spend hours watching films and dreaming of telling his own stories one day. He first pursued acting, but when opportunities were scarce, he decided to create his own path by learning filmmaking and producing projects independently.

Working with no budget, he began by directing documentaries, using them as a way to explore his love for travel and storytelling. His films have reached wide audiences online, including his short documentary Taghazout, which portrays the spirit of the Moroccan surf village. In 2025, he filmed a new documentary at Burning Man, marking an important step in his artistic journey.

Ifanguer’s work is driven by curiosity, ambition, and a deep belief in the power of stories to connect people across cultures.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After I made my first short film, everything started to shift. I was 19 when I got my first real opportunity: an agency reached out and asked me to join them as a filmmaker. The funny part is that at that time, I didn’t even own a camera — all I had was a phone.

And even that phone has its own story. When I was 17, my parents told me they would buy me a bike if I got good grades. I did my part, but the bike never came. I was frustrated, so I took a job at a call center, saved my money, and bought the bike myself. That moment changed something in me — I realized that if I wanted something in life, I had to go get it.

The next year, when I was 18, I decided I needed a phone to start filming. So I went back to another call center job, worked for a bit, bought the phone, and used it to shoot my first short film. I posted it online — it barely had about a thousand views — but somehow it landed in the right hands. An agency called me, and just like that, I started working with them.

A couple of weeks later, I made another short film called The Joker. That one brought me something I had dreamed of since I was a kid: my first acting opportunity. I got a call to act in a commercial, and honestly, it was one of the best days of my life. The idea of getting paid to act felt surreal.

From there, things kept moving. I did a few more commercials — four in total — and eventually landed my first small role in a feature film, Animalia, which later screened at the Sundance Film Festival. The role was small, but it meant a lot to me. It was the moment I stopped being just “the guy who films” or “the extra” and became an actor in an actual film.

It’s still early in my journey, and I know there’s much more ahead. But these small beginnings — the call centers, the phone, the bike, the first short films — are the moments that built the foundation for everything that’s coming next.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a filmmaker, actor, and music producer, but the heart of my work is storytelling. I specialize in documentary-style filmmaking that blends cinematic visuals with raw, emotional, human moments. I love interviewing people, traveling to new places, and capturing stories that might otherwise go unnoticed — whether it’s a surfer in Taghazout, a gardener in Agadir, or a pilot at Burning Man.

I’m best known for creating projects that feel personal and authentic. My series Understand Me, where I interviewed strangers about life, went viral and connected me with a huge audience. My short film Taghazout reached viewers around the world, and my recent documentary at Burning Man marked an important step in taking my work international. I’m also proud of the short films I wrote, directed, and acted in early on, because they opened the doors to everything that followed.

What sets me apart is that I built everything from scratch with no resources. I didn’t grow up with access to equipment, connections, or a filmmaking community — so I learned by doing. That gave me a unique style: simple tools, real people, powerful stories. I don’t try to force narrative; I let people be themselves, and I capture the beauty in that.

I also bring a mix of disciplines — acting, filmmaking, and music — which allows me to craft every part of a story, from the emotion on screen to the rhythm of the edit and the sound of the scene.

I’m most proud of the fact that my work resonates with people. When someone sees one of my videos and says it made them feel understood, inspired, or connected, that means more to me than any award or number.

I’m still evolving, still learning, and still hungry. But everything I create comes from the same place: a deep curiosity about people and a belief that stories can bring us closer to one another.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success starts with answering one simple question: What do I truly love doing?
And then having the courage to keep doing that every day.

Success is choosing a path that challenges you, excites you, and scares you at the same time — the kind of work that pushes you out of your comfort zone, where you don’t always know what you’re doing, but you’re energized by the journey. It means waking up curious, inspired, and willing to grow.

Of course, success also includes having a healthy mind, good relationships, and good health. But at the core, it’s about staying connected to the thing that lights you up inside, and building a life around it. That, for me, is real success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifanguer_/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aymane-ifanguer-1404621b9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ifanguer

Image Credits
Professional photoshoot was hamza rochdi