Driven by a spirit of adventure and desire for fun and happiness, Julia escapes London with her two daughters and embarks upon an adventure of a lifetime to the exotic destination of Marrakech. Encountering a new world of vibrant and colorful sights and sounds, the trio are quickly absorbed by the mysterious culture of Morocco and discover a freedom previously foreign to them. Torn between the desire for freedom and love, Julia is compelled in this captivating and inspirational story to make a choice, which will ultimately affect them all.

Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Writers: Esther Freud (novel), Billy MacKinnon (screenplay)

Cast:
Kate Winslet ... Julia
Saïd Taghmaoui ... Bilal
Bella Riza ... Bea
Carrie Mullan ... Lucy
Pierre Clémenti ... Santoni
Abigail Cruttenden ... Charlotte
Ahmed Boulane ... Ben Said
Sira Stampe ... Eva
Amidou ... Sufi Sheikh
Michelle Fairley ... Patricia
Kevin McKidd ... Henning
Peter Youngblood Hills ... Hippy
Mohcine Barmouni ... Aziz

Posters, Promotional Stills, On the Set and Screen Captures

Released on: November 17, 1998 (London Film Festival)

Years earlier, writer-actor Stephen Tredre, Winslet's friend and first love, had given her Esther Freud's 1992 novel, Hideous Kinky—"no narrative, just this hippie, funky mother trotting about Morocco; she reminded me of my mother, actually". When the screenplay happened her way, she said, "I thought, I really, really want to do this. There's a reason I should do this movie".

The title of the film and book comes from the only two words the two girls remember their mum's friend saying "Hideous" and "Kinky". Bea in particular uses the words in a game that the girls play which is similar to "tag" but if she shouts "Hideous Kinky" before her sister tags her she is free.

"Neither my agent here nor in London got the script at all or why I wanted to do it. The mother I play is very carefree and not necessarily as domestic as a normal parent would be. My agent said, 'Don't you think people are going to say, "Why is she playing this woman who's basically not a very good mother?" When agents don't like what I like, I have to say, 'You have to listen to me and this is what I want to do. I'd really appreciate it if you would work on this and help me. This is falling at a really important time in my life—a time I feel I should go and do it'."

"I think I wanted to be Julia, travelling, no worries."

"I knew doing this film was going to save my soul for that period of time. And it came and went and that was just fine."

"This part is finally nearer me than the others. No parts I've played before have been so skin to me."

"...Luscious and flushed... Visually rich... An opulent travelogue..." -- Rating: B — Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum

"...Hideous Kinky finds [MacKinnon] plunging with infectious relish into the vibrant sun-baked colours, sounds and turmoil of Morocco..." — Sight and Sound - Philip Kemp

"...The film is colorful, exotic and beautifully acted by Winslet in tandem with the extraordinary Riza and Mullan..." — Rolling Stone Peter Travers

"...Voluptuously exotic... The atmosphere is an overwhelmingly strong aspect of the audience's experience, and the characters' way of penetrating that atmosphere creates its own momentum..." — New York Times - Janet Maslin