The Oscars is the MOTHER of all prestigious film awards. Move over Quentin Tarantino, because Arab cinema is set to take up an even bigger space in Hollywood. This year, SIX Arab films from Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Tunisia, and Morocco are in the running for the Academy Award shortlist, and we *cannot* be more excited. If they get picked, they will receive an official Oscars nomination.
Among the entries are: Egyptian director Omar Hilal’s newest release Voy Voy Voy; Jordanian director Amjad Al-Rasheed’s movie, Inshallah a Boy; Lina Soualem’s documentary Bye Bye Tiberias; Yemen director Amr Gamal’s The Burdened; Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, and Asmae El Moudir’s documentary The Mother of All Lies.
Here are the six arab films in the running…
Bye Bye Tiberias
Via @byebyetiberias on Instagram
Following her first feature THEIR ALGERIA, director Lina Soualem delves into the journey of her mother, the Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass, and explores the profound influence the women in their family had on both their lives.
Let yourself be carried away by this intimate and moving documentary about four generations of daring Palestinian women who keep their legacy alive through the strength of their bonds, despite exile, dispossession, and heartbreak. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Inshallah a Boy
Via @alicecinemafilm on Instagram
The injustices of a patriarchal power system are laid bare in this Jordanian debut as a widow takes drastic measures in order to avoid losing her home and inheritance to her in-laws because she hasn’t conceived a son.
“Inshallah a Boy” by director Amad Al Rasheed was the first Jordanian film to compete in the Cannes Film Festival in May. The feature film was chosen to compete in Cannes Critics’ Week, a subsidiary event that ran alongside the 76th edition of the festival.
Voy Voy Voy
Via @omar.hilal on Instagram
Starring Egyptian actor Mohammed Farag, Voy Voy Voy is the humorous true story of Hassan, a poor man living in Egypt who fakes his blindness when presented with an opportunity to chase his lifelong dream after he stumbles upon a football team for the visually impaired. With a stellar cast including the iconic Nelly Karim as well as a gripping storyline, Omar Hilal’s dramatic comedy discusses dreams, flaws and what it means to be human.
The Burdened
Via @theburdenedfilm on Instagram
The Burdened is director Amr Gamal’s second film to be submitted to the Oscars. The film follows the true story of a couple in Aden in 2019, as the trials and tribulations of their normal life are heightened once Irsa’a falls pregnant. The film has already received some awards, like the jury’s mention for Best Direction and Best Screenplay at the 38th Valencia International Film Festival, as well as the Berlinale Panorama Official Selection award.
Four Daughters
Via @kaoutherbenhania on Instagram
Kaouther Ben Hania‘s Four Daughters is set to represent Tunisia for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The film has already seen great success, sharing the Cannes’ L’oeil d’Or (Golden Eye) prize for Best Documentary with Morocco’s entry, The Mother of All Lies. The Oscar-nominated director’s semi-documentary follows the anguish of Olfa Hamrouni, played by Hend Sabri, as her daughters become radicalized and run away to join Daesh in Libya, with their mother and siblings playing themselves. The film’s star-studded cast additionally includes Khaled Abol Naga, Ichraq Matar, and Majd Mastoura among others.
The Mother of All Lies
Via @asmae_el_moudir on Instagram
Sweeping up Best Director and L’oeil d’Or (sharing the prize with the Tunisian entry – Kaouther Ben Hania‘s Four Daughters) award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, director Asmae El Moudir tells a gripping tale in her powerful hybrid documentary, The Mother of All Lies. Based on El Moudair and her family’s accounts of the historic bread riots, this film explores the horrific story behind the 1981 massacre in Casablanca.