Arab American Heritage Month 2024
As Arab American Heritage Month comes to an close, we're seeing it off with a selection of some of our favorite recent dramas, comedies, thrillers, and documentaries by directors from countries across the Arab world, including Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.
Ashkal
In Carthage's modern district, a charred body is found, initially deemed a suicide. Detectives Batal and Fatma question this conclusion. Shortly after, a teenager is discovered similarly dead nearby.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Tunisia, Qatar • 2023
- Director Youssef Chebbi
- Cast Fatma Oussaifi, Mohamed Grayaâ, Aymen Ben Hmida, Rami Harrabi, Ghalia Jebali, Adel Monam Khemis
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube
Four Daughters
(Les filles d'Olfa)
In this docufiction, director Kaouther Ben Hania recreates the story of a mother and her four daughters, two of whom have disappeared.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Saudi Arabia, Germany • 2023
- Director Kaouther Ben Hania
- Cast Hend Sabry
- Genre Documentary, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand
Inshallah a Boy
(Inshallah walad)
To protect her daughter and home, and navigate the complexities of Jordan's patriarchal laws, a widow feigns pregnancy with a son.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia • 2023
- Director Amjad Al-Rasheed
- Cast Mouna Hawa
- Genre
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, Kino Now
The Blue Caftan
(Le Bleu du caftan)
A middle-aged tailor and his wife find their relationship turned upside down by the arrival of a handsome new apprentice.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Morocco, Belgium • 2023
- Director Maryam Touzani
- Cast Lubna Azabal, Saleh Bakri, Ayoub Messioui, Mounia Lamkimel, Hamid Zoughi
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Cairo Conspiracy
(ولد من الجنة)
The son of a fisherman is given the chance to study at a prestigious university in Cairo and becomes a pawn in the conflict between Egypt's religious and political elites.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Sweden, France, Finland • 2022
- Director Tarik Saleh
- Cast Tawfeek Barhom, Fares Fares, Mohammad Bakri, Makram J. Khoury, Mehdi Dehbi, Younes Medhat
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Plex
Costa Brava, Lebanon
(كوستا برافا)
A family living in the rural mountainside are threatened by the construction of a new landfill next to their land.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- • 2022
- Director Mounia Akl
- Cast Nadine Labaki, Saleh Bakri, Nadia Charbel, Ceana Restom, Geana Restom
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kino Now, Kanopy
Captains of Za'atari
(كباتن الزعتري)
Fawzi and Mahmoud, two best friends living in Za'atari, the world’s largest camp for Syrian refugees, dream of being professional soccer players.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- • 2021
- Director Ali El Arabi
- Cast Fawzi Qatleesh, Mahmoud Dagher, Xavi Hernández, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribéry
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Kanopy
Gaza Mon Amour
(غزة حبيبتي)
When sixty-year-old fisherman discovers an ancient phallic statue of Apollo in his fishing nets, he suspects that the discovery will change his life forever.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Occupied Palestinian Territory, France, Germany • 2021
- Director Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser
- Cast Hiam Abbass, Salim Dau, Maisa Abd Elhadi, George Iskandar, Manal Awad, Hitham Al Omai
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kanopy, Plex
The Alleys
(الحارة)
In the backstreets of East Amman, gossip and rumor are the coin of the realm. Part thriller, part social drama, The Alleys tells a story of scandal, blackmail, and murder.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Jordan • 2021
- Director Bassel Ghandour
- Cast Emad Azmi, Baraka Rahmani, Munther Rayahneh, Nadira Omran, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadeem Rimawi
- Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
200 Meters
(٢٠٠ متر)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Occupied Palestinian Territory, Italy, Turkey • 2020
- Director Ameen Nayfeh
- Cast Ali Soliman, Anna Unterberger, Lana Zreik, Gassan Abbas, Motaz Malhees, Mahmoud Abu Eita
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hoopla, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Unknown Saint
(سيد المجهول)
Moments before his capture by police, a thief digs a hole to hide a bag of money. Years later, he returns, only to find a shrine to an unknown saint.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Morocco, France, Qatar • 2020
- Director Alaa Eddine Aljem
- Cast Younes Bouab, Salah Bensalah, Bouchaib Essamak, Mohamed Naimane, Anas El Baz, Hassan Ben Bdida
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Clash
(إشتباك)
Conflict is on the inside.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Egypt, France • 2016
- Director Mohamed Diab
- Cast Nelly Karim, Hani Adel, Mohamed El Sebaii, Tarek Abdel Aziz, Hosny Sheta, Ahmed Dash
- Genre Thriller, Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kino Now, Kanopy