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African & Middle Eastern

Alice has precious few (but building) films from the Middle East and even fewer from the vast continent of Africa. Middle Eastern films are often highly politicised, bringing subjects to the attention of audiences that would otherwise know little about them. Film makers are often dealing with various forms of political and social oppression and even armed conflicts to bring their stories to light. Exotic scenery, allegorical storytelling and close-up exposure to cultural norms, so different from our own, bring a kind of immersion only rivalled by being there. To find a title from a specific country use the By Country link on the left. Pictured: A Time for Drunken Horses

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

7/10
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Starring: Mozhan Marno, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Sheila Vand

Ana Lily Amirpour's debut is set in the fictitious locale of Bad City, in which The Girl, a sassy loner who roams the streets on a skateboard she stol... Read more

A Screaming Man (2010)

6.8/10
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Starring: Youssouf Djaoro, Diouc Koma

A highly-regarded drama set in modern-day Chad, "A Screaming Man" sees Youssouf Djaoro play Adam, a one-time swimming champion now in his mid-fifties... Read more

A Separation (2011)

8.3/10
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi

Iranian drama, winner of Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival 2011. "A... Read more

A Separation (Blu-ray) (2011)

8.3/10
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat

Set in contemporary Iran, A Separation is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and... Read more

A Thousand Months (2003)

6.3/10
Director: Faouzi Bensaidi
Starring: Fouad Labied, Nezha Rahil, Mohammed Majo

Set during Ramadan in 1981, "A Thousand Months" tells the story of Medhi, a seven-year-old boy (Fouad Labied) who lives in the Atlas Mountains. His jo... Read more

A Time for Drunken Horses (2001)

7.7/10
Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Starring: Ayoub Ahmadi, Rojin Younessi

Lyrical, emotional and bleak drama about several siblings of a poverty stricken Kurdish family desperately trying to find funding for the treatment of... Read more

Abouna (2002)

6.7/10
Director: Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
Starring: Ahidjo Mahamat Moussa, Zara Haroun, Hamza Moctar Aguid

A.k.a. "Our Father". Set in the director's native Chad, the sensuous "Abouna" begins with the striking image of a man in Western dress crossing a dese... Read more

About Elly (2009)

8.1/10
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Starring: Golshifteh Farahani, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Merila Z...

From Asghar Farhadi, director of the acclaimed "A Separation", comes a gripping tale of secrets and lies amongst a tight-knit group of friends holiday... Read more

At Five in the Afternoon (2003)

6.9/10
Director: Samira Makhmalbaf
Starring: Agheleh Rezaie, Abdolgani Yousefrazi, Razi Mohebi, Marzieh Amiri

Samira Makhmalbaf's "At Five in the Afternoon" was the first film to be made in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban regime. Set in the ruine... Read more

Bamako (2006)

6.8/10
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
Starring: Danny Glover, Aissa Maiga, Tiecoura Traore

An audacious blend of documentary and dramatic segments from filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, this indictment of global economic policy towards Africa... Read more