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
Close-Up (1990)
8.3/10
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Starring: Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazl Ahankhah, Mehdrad Ahankhah
Regarded as one of the greatest films of the '90s, acclaimed director Abbas Kiarostami's brilliant exploration of a misguided cinephile's attempts to... Read more
Crimson Gold (2003)
7.5/10
Director: Jafar Panahi
Starring: Hussein Emadeddin, Kamyar Sheissi, Azita Rayeji, Shahram Vaziri
Masterfully directed by Jafar Panahi ('The Circle'), scripted by Abbas Kiarostami ('Ten') and based on a true story, "Crimson Gold" is a moving portra... Read more
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2006)
7.9/10
Director: Fatih Akin
Award-winning Turkish director Fatih Akin's colourful documentary celebrates the musical diversity of Istanbul, bringing both historic and recent expr... Read more
Cupcakes (2013)
6/10
Director: Eytan Fox
Starring: Anat Waxman, Yael Bar-Zohar, Ofer Shechter, Dana Ivgy, Efrat Dor, Keren Berger
A.k.a. "Bananot" ("Bananas"). When a group of best friends in Tel Aviv gather to watch Universong, they are less than impressed by the official Israel... Read more
Distant ( aka Uzak ) (2003)
7.7/10
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Mehmet Emin Yoprak, Muzaffer Ozdemir
Mahmut is a 40-year-old independent photographer living in Istanbul, and in a deep existential depression following his wife's departure. He's used t... Read more
Exils (2004)
Director: Tony Gatlif
Starring: Romain Duris, Lubna Azabal, Leila Makhlouf
Tony Gatlif's 'Exils', is an exuberant, free-wheeling, heartfelt journey swimming like a salmon against the traditional migrant tide of the Franco-Alg... Read more
Fill the Void (2012)
6.7/10
Director: Rama Burshtein
Starring: Yiftach Klein, Hadas Yaron, Irit Sheleg, Chaim Sharir
"Fill the Void" tells the story of eighteen-year-old Shira (Hadas Yaron), who is the youngest daughter of her family. Her dreams are about to come tru... Read more
Footnote (2011)
7.1/10
Director: Joseph Cedar
Starring: Nevo Kimchi, Lior Ashkenazi, Shlomo Bar Aba, Daniel Markovich, Alisa Rosen, Alma...
A.k.a. "Hearat Shulayim". Eliezer Shkolnik (Shlomo Bar Aba) and his son Uriel (Lior Ashkenazi) are both Talmud scholars who teach at the Hebrew Univer... Read more
Foxtrot (2017)
7.5/10
Director: Samuel Maoz
Starring: Sarah Adler, Lior Ashkenazi, Yonaton Shiray, Shira Haas
A troubled family must face the facts when something goes terribly wrong at their son's desolate military post. Read more
Gabbeh (1995)
7.1/10
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Starring: Shaghayegh Djodat, Hossein Moharami, Abbas Sayahi
A nomadic tribe in south-east Iran, on the verge of extinction and renowned for weaving gabbeh's, is the setting for this idyllic tale of the love bet... Read more