Having an Arab film, or in this case two Arab films, reach the Oscars is a huge event worth double the recognition and celebration! Today, February 28th, Palestine has decided to celebrate its success and the success of its neighboring country, Jordan, during this year’s Oscars Night , by screening both of their Arab films that have been nominated this year!
In 2014, the film ‘Theeb’/ذيب premiered at the 71st Venice Film Festival and was nominated for Best Film. Today, the film, which has received numerous awards, is being nominated for the 88th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This narrative is directed by Naji Abu Nowar and co-written by Bassel Ghandour, whom are both from Jordan. After a year of searching for the perfect tribe, the plot of the film took place within a Bedouin village in the Jordanian valley of Wadi Rum. The film is set in the Arabian desert, during World War I, in the wake of the Great Arab Revolt. Abu Nowar, the director, chose non-professional actors in order to maintain the essence of the plot. The film, which is considered a “Bedouin Western”, is told through the eyes of Bedouin boy named ‘Theeb’, meaning ‘wolf’ in English.. Check out the film’s trailer below and enjoy the gritty journey of this Bedouin lone wolf!
Next, we have Ave Maria!/السلام عليك يا مريم nominated in the 2016 Oscars for Short Film (Live Action). This comedy is directed by Basel Khalil, a Palestinian man from Nazareth. Khalil decided to approach the human side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and he did so in a very charming satirical manner. He showed us what happens when nuns vowed to silence, and loud squabbling Israeli’s meet each other and are forced to deal with each other in order to get through their current situation. Check out the trailer:
Both films will be screening at the same time in six different Palestinian cities to celebrate the success of the Arabic cinema. It seems like Arab films are rising in the movie industry annually, leaving its mark in world cinema!
Join the celebration of this great achievement today at the nearest Palestinian city, and enjoy your night watching these two amazing films! Don’t forget to leave a smile 🙂
You can find out the locations of each screening here.
