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
Within the oppressive society of contemporary Iran, two Tehran schoolgirls are romantically drawn to each other and seek the freedom to live their liv... Read more
Based on her autobiographical graphic novels, Marjane Satrapi and co-screenwriter Vincent Paronnaud directed this Oscar-nominated, black-and-white ani... Read more
"Shekarchi" Ali (Rafi Pitts) is a reformed criminal who lives in a small flat in Tehran with his wife Sara and their young daughter Saba. While he's g... Read more
A.k.a. "Red Satin". A Tunisian widow takes an unlikely journey of self-discovery in Raja Amarji's sumptuous and sensual "Satin Rouge". While investiga... Read more
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
Devout Orthodox Jews Moshe and Mali (played by scriptwriter and devout Orthodox Jew Shuli Rand and his real-life wife) are celebrating Sukkot, a time... Read more
Yusuf is an only child who lives with his parents in the isolated mountains of North-Eastern Turkey. His father, Yakup, is a traditional beekeeper. He... Read more
Like the Palestinian towns across the West Bank split by high Israeli walls, Omar (Adam Bakri) is a divided man. A baker by trade he must scale the co... Read more
Marziyeh Meshkini's compelling and poignant study of the elementary problems faced by women in Eastern societies looks at three different generations... Read more
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