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
Under the Shadow (2015)
6.9/10
Director: Babak Anvari
Starring: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi
Infused with autobiographical elements, Babak Anvaris debut feature is a terrifying allegory of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, a now often overlooked con... Read more
Mustang (2015)
7.6/10
Director: Deniz Gamze Erguven
Starring: Tugba Sunguroglu, Doga Zeynap Doguslu, Gunes Sensoy, Elit Iscan, Ilayda Akdogan
While it begins in a burst of lyrical exuberance with schoolchildren frolicking in surf, this knockout first feature from Deniz Gamze Ergüven builds i... Read more
Tehran Taxi (2015)
Director: Jafar Panahi
Starring: Jafar Panahi
The great Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Offside, The Circle) has never let being barred from filmmaking stop him. For the third time since the ban wa... Read more
Theeb (2014)
7.2/10
In the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, a young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming-of-age as he embarks on a perilous dese... Read more
Timbuktu (2014)
7.2/10
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako
Starring: Toulou Kiki, Abel Jafri
We are the guardians of all deeds since we arrived in this territory. So states one of the self-described jihadists who, with his colleagues and som... Read more
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
Winter Sleep (2014)
8.2/10
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sozen, Demet Akbag
Aydin, a former actor, runs a small hotel in central Anatolia with his young wife Nihal with whom he has a stormy relationship and his sister Necla wh... Read more
Wings Of Honour (Angel of the Skies) (2013)
4/10
War is declared and Britain must take action against Nazi Germany if Europe is going to be saved from its ruthless clutches. Read more
Rock the Casbah (2013)
6.5/10
Director: Laila Marrakchi
Starring: Morjana Alaoui, Nadine Labaki, Lubna Azabal, Hiam Abbass
The whole family is reunited when Sofia comes back for her father's funeral. Quickly, inner problems are revealed. "Rock the Casbah is consistently en... Read more
Omar (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Starring: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Samer Bisharat
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