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Ajami (2009) Directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani - Misunderstanding and violence spiral out of control in Palestine and Israel. Omar has to pay for his uncle's mistake; Malek is a Palestinian `illegal' from Nablus who is working for Abu-Elias to pay off his mother's medical bills; Dando is an Israeli policeman distraught at the disappearance of his conscripted brother; and Binj is an apolitical, hedonistic Arab despised by his friends for having a Jewish girlfriend.

Alila (2003) Directed by Amos Gitai - Residents of (Yaël Abecassis, Uri Klauzner, Hanna Laslo) of an apartment building in the working-class section of Tel Aviv, Israel, go about their daily lives.

Assassin Next Door, The (2009) Directed by Danny Lerner - Galia, a killer involved in the sex trade, and Eleanor, an abused wife, join forces to enact revenge upon their aggressors and fight for freedom.

Attack, The (2012) Directed by Ziad Doueiri - An award-winning Palestinian surgeon (Ali Suliman) is shocked to discover that his wife was the terrorist responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 17 people.

Band’s Visit, The (2007) Directed by Eran Kolirin - The eight Egyptian musicians who comprise the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrive by mistake in a small town in Israel's Negev Desert. Their booking is set for a different city, and with no transportation out of the town or any hotels to stay at, the band settles at a restaurant owned by Dina (Ronit Elkabetz), who offers them lodging. Overcoming ethnic barriers, the Egyptians find diversion and companionship with the Israelis through a pervading undercurrent of shared melancholy.

Beaufort (2007) Directed by Joseph Cedar - Near the end of the war in Lebanon, a group of Israeli soldiers defends an isolated mountain outpost next to a 12th-century fortress called Beaufort Castle. Moving through a maze-like underground structure, they are under constant bombardment and stress. The young commander, Liraz (Oshri Cohen), is at odds with demolitions expert, Ziv (Ohad Knoller), and things become even more tense as the troops prepare to withdraw and possibly destroy the very bunker they've been defending.

Big Bad Wolves (2013) Directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado - A cop (Lior Ashkenazi) and a vengeful father (Tzahi Grad) torture a teacher (Rotem Keinan) whom they believe was involved in several killings, including that of a little girl.

Border Cafe (2005) Directed by Kambuzia Partovi - An independent-minded widow bucks tradition to run her dead husband's truck stop café.

Broken Wings (2002) Directed by Nir Bergman - Following the unexpected death of their patriarch, the Ulman family is left reeling. While each family member tries to cope emotionally, they must also deal with the day-to-day reality of their father's absence, with his widow working extra hours at her hospital job to make ends meet. This leaves teen daughter Maya (Maya Maron) with the added responsibility of looking after her younger siblings, while her twin brother shuts out the world. Can the Ulmans find a way to recover from their loss?

Cafe Setareh (2006) Directed by Saman Moghadam - Vignettes detail the lives of three Iranian women in a poor Tehran community.

Cakemaker, The (2017) Directed by Ofir Raul Grazier - Thomas, a young German baker, is having an affair with Oren, an Israeli married man who has frequent business visits in Berlin. When Oren dies in a car crash in Israel, Thomas travels to Jerusalem seeking answers regarding his death. Under a fabricated identity, Thomas infiltrates into the life of Anat, his lover's newly widowed wife, who owns a small café in downtown Jerusalem. Thomas starts to work for her and create German cakes and cookies that bring life into her café.

Capernaum (2018) Directed by Nadine Lebaki - After running away from his negligent parents, committing a violent crime and being sentenced to five years in jail, a hardened, streetwise 12-year-old Lebanese boy sues his parents in protest of the life they have given him.

Caramel (2007) Directed by Nadine Lebaki - A beauty salon in Beirut is a safe haven for five women in this Lebanese romantic comedy. Shop owner Layale (Nadine Labaki) consults her employees about a problematic affair, stylist Rima (Joanna Markouzel) does not know how to handle her attraction to a female client, and seamstress Rose abandons her own ambitions to care for her family. With the support of their friends in their familiar salon, the women search for the answers to questions of life, love and happiness.

Children of Heaven (1997) Directed by Majid Majidi - When young Ali (Amir Farrokh Hashemian) accidentally loses the only pair of shoes his little sister Zahra (Bahare Seddiqi) owns, the siblings attempt to hide the bad news from their poverty-stricken father (Mohammad Amir Naji) and ill mother (Fereshte Sarabandi). They devise a scheme to share Ali's own pair of worn sneakers until they can find a new pair of shoes for Zahra. This documentary-like film was shot on location in some of Tehran's poorest areas.

Climates (2006) Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan - University professor Isa (Nuri Bilge Ceylan) and his lover, Bahar (Ebru Ceylan), are on vacation together when they break up. She returns to Istanbul by herself, and later, Isa resumes a relationship with a former lover. Upon hearing that she is in the East filming a TV project, Isa travels to that part of the country to track her down and perhaps mend the rift between them.

Color of Paradise, The (1999) Directed by Majid Majidi - "The Color of Paradise" is a fable of a child's innocence and a complex look at faith and humanity. Visually magnificent and wrenchingly moving, the film tells the story of a boy whose inability to see the world only enhances his ability to feel its powerful forces.

Crimson Gold (2003) Directed by Jafar Panahi - Pizza man Hussein (Hossain Emadeddin) is a daily witness to the unjust distribution of wealth in his native Iran. One day, he finds a purse filled with shockingly expensive receipts from an upscale jewelry store. He attempts to bring the purse back to the store, but because of his working class attire he's not allowed inside. Then, during a delivery, a rich man (Pourang Nakhael) invites Hussein into his extravagant mansion -- an event that spurs Hussein to make a desperate bid for wealth.

Daughters of the Sun (2000) Directed by Maryam Shahriar - While working as a weaver for a cruel master, an Iranian woman (Altinay Ghelich Taghani) develops a friendship with a despondent co-worker.

Day Break (2005) Directed by Hamid Rahmanian - A jailed Iranian murderer (Hossein Yari) anxiously awaits his execution by the family of his victim.

Debt (2007) Directed by Assaf Bernstein - Three Mossad agents lie about carrying out an assassination and decide to complete it 35 years later.

Delbaran (2001) Directed by Abolfazl Jilili - Fourteen-year-old Kaim (Kaim Alizadeh) flees his native Afghanistan for Delbaran, a town just inside of Iran's border, where he gets a job at a cafe. There, his brash personality prompts both admiration and annoyance as he adjusts to this largely lawless outpost of civilization, where drug trafficking and smuggling are the norm. As Khan (Rahmatollah Ebrahimi), his employer, tries to protect Kaim from immigration officials, the boy struggles with the harsh realities of refugee life.

Divine Intervention (2002) Directed by Elia Suleiman - Lovers (Elia Suleiman, Manal Khader) from different cities meet at an Israeli checkpoint and observe unfolding events.

Few Kilos of Dates For a Funeral, A (2006) Directed by Saman Salur - At a remote gas station in the Iranian desert, three lonely men dream of romance and pursue impossible romances.

Fill the Void (2012) Directed by Rama Burshtein - When the older sister of Shira, an 18-year-old Hasidic Israeli, dies suddenly in childbirth, Shira must decide if she can and should marry her widowed brother-in-law, which also generates tensions within her extended family.

Five Dedicated to Ozu (2003) Directed by Abbas Kiarostami - Filmed on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the filmmaker's experimental meditation is as much an ode to Ozu as it is a poetic distillation of Kiarostami's own cinema.

Footnote (2011) Directed by Joseph Cedar - Talmud scholar Eliezer Shkolnik (Shlomo Bar-Aba) has worked in obscurity at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. In contrast, Eliezer's son, Uriel (Lior Ashkenazi), also an academic, has published many books and received numerous accolades. Eliezer looks down on his son's achievements and pursuit of fame, and so the pair have a rocky relationship. Their rivalry comes to a head when Eliezer receives word that, at long last, he is the recipient of the prestigious Israeli Prize.

Free Zone (2005) Directed by Amos Gitai - An American who has been living in Jerusalem has just broken off her engagement and gets into a taxi driven by an Israeli woman. But the taxi driver is on her way to Jordan, to the Free Zone, to pick up a large sum of money.

Gabbeh (1996) Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf - In this Iranian romantic fantasy, an elderly married couple (Hossein Moharami, Roghieh Moharami) head to the river to wash their gabbeh, a traditional Persian carpet with a colorful illustration of a young woman woven into it. Suddenly, the figure in the design (Shaghayegh Djodat) springs miraculously to life, declares herself to be called Gabbeh, and then spins a story about her history, her family and the man she loved but was forbidden to marry.

The Gardener (2012) Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf - Filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf and his son, Maysam, explore the Baha'i faith, a religion which is forbidden in their native Iran. 

Half Moon (2006) Directed by Bahman Gobadi - Years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Kurdish singer Mamo (Ismail Ghaffari) intends to sing at a concert in Iraq. However, he lives in Iran and must travel to cross the border. He calls his children to accompany him -- and serve as back-up musicians -- and they begin an arduous journey in an old bus. They stop by a village to pick up a female singer, and must face harsh Iranian authorities at the border. However, a mysterious woman named Niwemang (Golshifteh Farahani) comes to their aid.

Holy Land, The (2001) Directed by Eitan Gorlin - Rabbinical student Mendy (Oren Rehany) is more or less commanded to visit a brothel after one of his teachers notices him struggling with his sexuality. Instantly smitten with Russian immigrant Sasha (Tchelet Semel), Mendy decides to set off and explore the wider world. Ending up at a Jerusalem bar run by American expatriate Mike (Saul Stein), he learns about secular life from the bar's patrons, who represent a wide variety of ethnicities and beliefs.

House is Black, The (1962) Directed by Forugh Farrokhzad - The only film directed by trailblazing feminist Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad finds unexpected grace where few would think to look: a leper colony whose inhabitants live, worship, learn, play, and celebrate in a self-contained community cut off from the rest of the world. Through ruminative voiceover narration drawn from the Old Testament, the Koran, and the filmmaker’s own poetry and unflinching images that refuse to look away from physical difference, Farrokhzad creates a profoundly empathetic portrait of those cast off by society—a face-to-face encounter with the humanity behind the disease. A key forerunner of the Iranian New Wave, THE HOUSE IS BLACK is a triumph of transcendent lyricism from a visionary artist whose influence is only beginning to be fully appreciated.

Incitement (2019) Directed by Yaron Zilberman - A young university student goes from activist to assassin in the year leading up to the murder of Israel's Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin. 

Iron Island (2005) Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof - A slowly sinking ship stuck in the Persian Gulf has become a pseudo-community to homeless Iranian squatters. This metal metropolis is run by Capt. Nemat (Ali Nassirian), a firm but loving leader who does everything from playing Cupid to supervising the residents' search for salable scrap metal. The only person in this "town" not to obey the captain's every command is Ahmad (Hossein Farzi-Zadeh), a rebellious youngster who pines for a pretty girl (Neda Pakdaman) with an overprotective father.

Jellyfish (2007) Directed by Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen - The lives of three dissimilar women -- bride Keren (Noa Knoller), catering crewmember Batia (Sarah Adler) and Joy (Ma-nenita De Latorre), an attendee's employee -- converge at a wedding in Tel Aviv, Israel. Each woman has her own unique set of problems to face. Batia ends a romantic relationship, and afterward finds an abandoned child. Joy has emigrated from the Philippines, but could not bring her son with her. The prospect of Keren's honeymoon is shattered after an unfortunate accident.

Jihad for Love, A (2007) Directed by Parvez Sharma - Filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels into the secretive world of homosexuality within the Islamic faith. He interviews those who try to reconcile their faith with the ban on gays and lesbians, attempting to walk a fine line between persecution and honesty. Religious leaders who are unequivocal on the subject are also interviewed and take a predictably hard-line stance. The subjects of the film choose to remain Muslims in countries where many others would flee.

Joe + Belle (2011) Directed by Veronica Kedar - Two young women fall in love with their country and each other during a trip from Tel Aviv to Sderot.

Journey to the Sun (1999) Directed by Yesim Ustaoglu - Mehmet, a young Turkish man newly migrated from the village Tire, takes a job searching for water leaks below the surface of the streets of Istanbul. Due to a strange set of events, he is mistaken for a Kurd, imprisoned, and brutally beaten.

Kadosh (1999) Directed by Amos Gitai - "Kadosh" examines Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem neighborhood which guards itself and its ultra-orthodox inhabitants from the flow of contemporary urbanity or tourist populations. A classically constructed chamber piece, "Kadosh" features only seven characters, specifically revolving around the relationship between two sisters and three men.

Kandahar (2001) Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf - Nafas is a young Afghan journalist who has taken refuge in Canada. She receives a desperate letter from her little sister, who has stayed behind in Afghanistan and has decided to end her life before the imminently approaching eclipse of the sun. Nafas fled her country during the Taliban civil war. She decides to go and help her sister in Kandahar and attempts to cross the Iran-Afghanistan border...

Kedma (2002) Directed by Amos Gitai - Jewish refugees from Europe arrive in Palestine, days before the creation of the state of Israel.

Laila’s Birthday (2008) Directed by Rashid Mashawari - Forced to change careers after government cuts, Palestinian judge Abu Laila (Mohammed Bakri) becomes a cabbie. And in his new profession, chaos is the rule. One morning, Abu's wife, Um (Areen Omari), dispatches him with the task of securing a gift and a cake for Laila (Nour Zoubi), their soon-to-be 7-year-old daughter. But in a day marked by gridlock, unruly passengers and surprises at every turn, Abu's simple errand becomes a surreal adventure in the urban dysfunction of the West Bank.

Late Marriage (2001) Directed by Dover Kosashvili -Zaza (Lior Louie Ashkenazi) is an eligible 31-year-old bachelor who has done his best to remain unattached. His traditional Georgian-Jewish family is growing impatient, however, and they aggressively join forces to choose a young bride for him, with the stipulation that she be a virgin. Zaza plays along, but he is already in love with Judith (Ronit Elkabetz), an older divorcée and mother of a young child. Zaza has to decide whether to satisfy the desires of his parents, or his heart.

Lebanon (2009) Directed by Samuel Maoz - This tense war film focuses on a group of Israeli soldiers operating a tank in hostile territory during the 1982 conflict in Lebanon. Hindered by tight quarters, limited visibility and stifling heat, the troops inside the tank, including the frustrated Hertzel (Oshri Cohen), begin to quarrel amongst themselves, leaving themselves open to attack by their Lebanese enemies. As their mission -- to clear the area of opposing forces -- progresses, the situation becomes increasingly dire.

Lemon Tree (2008) Directed by Eran Riklis - Set in the West Bank, where Palestinian widow Salma Zidane tends her lemon grove. However, when Israeli Defense Minister Navon moves in across the way, his security guards demand she removes the trees, which could shelter terrorists. Refusing to bow down, she engages lawyer Ziad Daud to take her case to the Supreme Court, which brings international attention.

Man Who Sold His Skin, The (2020) Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania - A Syrian refugee in Lebanon allows his back to become a canvas for a famous tattoo artist in order to travel to Europe, but his decision may not mean freedom.

Marooned in Iraq (2002) Directed by Bahman Ghobadi - During the war between Iran and Iraq, Iranian Kurd musicians look for a singer who may be lost in enemy territory.

Mirror, The (1997) Directed by Jafar Panahi - When a young Iranian girl's mother doesn't meet her after school, she tries to negotiate the streets of Tehran by herself but soon becomes lost in the hustle and bustle.

Mosul (2019) Directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan - After being rescued by an Iraqi SWAT team from an assault by insurgents, a policeman joins the team and is thrown into a world of secrecy and ceaseless, fierce fighting. 

Mustang (2015) Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven - It's the beginning of summer. In a small village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are on their way home from school, innocently playing with local boys. However, prying village eyes view their games with suspicion and the girls' behavior, and refusal to repent, quickly causes a scandal among the family.

Nina’s Tragedies (2003) Directed by Savi Gabizon - Six intensely emotional months in the life of 14-year-old Nadav. He reminisces about this turbulent period in his family's history from his high-strung Uncle Haimon's untimely death to the passing of his estranged, deeply religious father, Amnon.

No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) Directed by Bahman Ghobadi - Two young musicians, Negar (Negar Shaghaghi) and Ashkan (Ashkan Koshanejad), are released from prison. They immediately immerse themselves in the underground rock scene in Tehran, Iran -- "underground" because playing in public venues is outlawed. They plan to escape from their repressive country to play a concert in Europe, but first they need to find a rhythm section and some passports. They place their hope in Nader (Hamed Behdad), a savvy fixer who promises to get them to their gig.

Offside (2006) Directed by Jafar Panahi - Since women are banned from soccer matches, Iranian females masquerade as males so they can slip into Tehran's stadium to see the game between Iran and Bahrain. The ones who are caught and arrested are taken to a holding area and guarded by soldiers. One sympathetic soldier agrees to watch the game through a peephole and recount the action to the impatient fans.

Omar (2013) Directed by Hany Abu-Assad - Arrested after the death of an Israeli soldier, a Palestinian baker (Adam Bakri) agrees to work as an informant, but his true motives and alliances remain hidden.

Or (My Treasure) (2004) Directed by Keren Yadaya - A 17-year-old (Dana Ivgy) in Tel Aviv, Israel, takes after her mother (Ronit Elkabetz) and becomes a prostitute.

Osama (2003) Directed by Siddiq Barmak - The Taliban closes down a hospital, putting a mother (Zubaida Sahar) and daughter (Marina Golbahari) who work there out of a job. Legally prohibited from going out unaccompanied by men, and having none to rely on, they hatch a desperate plan to disguise the daughter as a boy answering to the name "Osama." The ruse works for a while, but when the Taliban begins conscripting boys for their training school, Osama fears it won't be long before she is discovered.

Paper Dolls (2006) Directed by Tomer Heymann - After Israel closes its borders to Palestinian workers, people from other countries emigrate there to find jobs. Among them are several individuals from the Philippines. The men, who consider themselves female, get jobs as caregivers for elderly Orthodox Jewish men. On their nights off they perform in a drag ensemble called "Paper Dolls."

Paradise Now (2005) Directed by Hany Abu-Assad - Khaled (Ali Suliman) and Said (Kais Nashif) are Palestinian friends recruited by a terrorist group to become suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. Armed with explosives, they attempt to cross into Israel, but are pursued by suspicious border guards. Khaled returns to the terrorists, while Said sneaks into Israel and ponders detonating at another target. After Khaled and Said reunite to begin their mission again, Khaled has reconsidered, and tries to convince Said to give up the bombing as well.  

Rachida (2002) Directed by Yamina Bachir - Rachida is stopped by a group of youths who demand she puts a bomb in her school. She refuses and is shot in the abdomen. She survives and hides with her mother in a village.

RESISTANCE[S] VOL 1 (2006) Directed by Various - Experimental Films from the Middle East and North Africa: The laudable challenging Resistance[s] consists of eight distinct efforts to foster greater complexity of cultural awareness through decidedly unconventional uses of the expressive resources unique to the film and video medium. Most of the selections both formally and thematically reflect the inter-continental backgrounds and multi-cultural identities of their creators, thereby facilitating further reflection on how, in each particular instance, the aesthetic and cultural dimensions interact.

RESISTANCE[S] VOL 2 (2007) Directed by Various - RESISTANCE(II), is the second volume of this collection of experimental film and video art from the Middle East and North Africa. Featuring nine artists from a variety of cultural and disciplinary backgrounds, these intimate, poetic and documentary works are witness to the region's complexity, vitality and diversity of creative energies. Distanced from the usual stereotypes, the artists aim to explore existential, political and aesthetic issues of our times while opening up to new narrative perspectives that break with our media's monotonous and repetitive imagery.

Rocket, The (2013) Directed by Kim Mordaunt - After his Laotian village is leveled to make way for a dam, a 10-year-old boy leads his family and two new friends on a perilous journey to find a new home, then enters a rocket festival to prove he's not bad luck.

Salesman, The (2016) Directed by Asghar Farhadi - After their flat becomes damaged, Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti), a young couple living in Tehran, Iran, must move into another apartment. Once relocated, a sudden eruption of violence linked to the previous tenant of their new home dramatically changes their lives, creating a simmering tension between husband and wife.

Satin Rouge (2002) Directed by Raja Amari - A lonely widow (Hiam Abbass) gets involved with her daughter's (Hend El Fahem) lover and befriends a belly dancer in a cabaret.

Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story (2009) Directed by Yousry Nasrallah - A talk show host who tends to focus on sensitive political issues is at odds with her husband who is attempting to build a political career.

Silence, The (1998) Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf - A blind 10-year-old (Tahmineh Normatova) tunes musical instruments to earn money for his mother, abandoned by his father years earlier.

Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine (2000) Directed by Bahman Farmanara - Bahman Farjami (Bahman Farmanara) is a 55-year-old filmmaker in Iran who has been banned from making films for over 20 years by the Post-Revolutionary Censor Board (his previous film to this was made in 1978). As other Iranian filmmakers die, and he considers his own heart condition a sign that he may soon follow, Farjami decides to film his own funeral. This new quest finds him researching funeral rites, but it also brings him into jeopardy.

Song of Sparrows, The (2008) Directed by Majid Majidi - After losing a valuable ostrich, Karim (Reza Naji) is fired from his job tending fowl on a small farm. Desperate to repair his daughter's broken hearing aid, Karim sets out on his motorcycle to find work in the bustling city of Tehran, Iran. Karim accidentally falls into a lucrative new line of work when a distracted businessman mistakes him for a taxi and jumps on the back of his motorcycle. But as the allure of the city takes its hold on Karim, he begins to lose sight of what matters most.

Strangers (2007) Directed by Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor - A Palestinian woman (Lubna Azabal) and an Israeli man (Liron Levo) meet by chance on a Berlin subway train and begin a tentative romance.

Sun Children (2020) Directed by Majid Majidi - A 12-year-old boy and his gang of street children are hired by a dangerous criminal to dig up a treasure buried below their school.

Syrian Bride, The (2004) Directed by Eran Riklis - on the border of Israel and Syria. Her father, political leader Hammed (Makram J. Khoury), wants her to marry a Syrian comedian, but her move to Syria would likely be a permanent one, considering the political unrest between the two countries. The wedding planning is a nightmare, and tensions are high -- especially when Mona's siblings, who have moved on to new countries and complicated relationships, come home before the big day.

Takva: A Man’s Fear of God (2006) Directed by Özer Kızıltan - Muharrem (Erkan Can) lives a solitary existence, strictly adhering to the most severe Islamic doctrines. To his surprise, a religious leader hires him as a rent collector, where he is given Western-style suits, a cell phone and a car with a driver. Thrown suddenly into the modern world, the naïve Muharrem is exposed to temptations and hypocrisies, causing his fear of God to eat away at his senses, and threaten his sanity.

Tale of Love and Darkness, A (2015) Directed by Natalie Portman - Influenced by his mother's (Natalie Portman) stories and poetry readings, young Amos Oz (Amir Tessler) grows up in 1940s Jerusalem and becomes a famous writer.

Tehilim (2007) Directed by Raphael Nadjari - Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. In contemporary Jerusalem, the Frankels are a close-knit Modern-Orthodox family. They lead an ordinary life until following a car accident, the father (Shmuel Vilozni) disappears. This documentary-style feature follows the Frankels' teenage son Menachem (Michael Moshonov), his younger brother and Alma (Limor Goldstein), the mother of the family, as they come to grips with this mystery.

Ten (2002) Directed by Abbas Kiarostami - A female taxi driver (Mania Akbari) ferries 10 different passengers around Tehran, Iran -- exposing herself to a wide swathe of the city's populace and shedding light on the plight of women in the country. Among those who set foot inside her cab are a prostitute and an elderly woman on her way to prayer. But there are also a multitude of familiar faces, including a friend who's broken up with her boyfriend and the driver's own son, who lashes out at his mother over divorcing his father. 

Theeb (2014) Directed by Naji Abu Nowar - In 1916, Theeb lives with his Bedouin tribe in a remote part of the Ottoman Empire. When his older brother has to escort a British officer across the desert, Theeb tags along for the adventure.

There Is No Evil (2020) Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof - Four people have to deal with the death penalty in Iran, each in their own way. A family man who lovingly takes care of his family works as an executioner for the Iranian regime.

Those Three (An Seh) (2007) Directed by Naghi Nemati - Just one day from completing their military training, three conscripts desert their camp and escape into the frozen wilderness of Northern Iran. In this austere and mesmerizing debut feature, director Naghi Nemati's attention to the minutiae of human relationships is a quiet and deliberate meditation on the value of responsibility, connection and sacrifice.

Thousand Women Like Me, A (2001) Directed by Reza Karimi and Reza Mirkarimi - In a modern day Iran, a Persian female attorney fights for custody of her seven year old diabetic son following a divorce with her husband. When the courts rule against her favor. She takes desperate actions that lead to tragic events.

Three Monkeys (2008) Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Eyup (Yavuz Bingol), the patriarch of a poor Turkish family, works for wealthy businessman Servet (Ercan Kesal). One fateful day while driving his car, Servet accidentally kills a pedestrian. He offers Eyup a big payoff to assume responsibility for the accident, which the poor man accepts. But a growing relationship between Servet and Eyup's wife, Hacer (Hatice Aslan), plus the suspicions of Eyup's son, Ismail (Rifat Sungar), threaten to tear the family apart despite their newfound wealth.

Time For Drunken Horses, A (2000) Directed by Bahman Ghobadi - The youngest of a destitute Kurdish family has a terminal illness, and his young siblings struggle to pay for a life-saving operation. In desperation, the eldest sister agrees to marry an Iraqi willing to care for the boy. At the border exchange, however, the family of the man rejects the sick boy, putting the siblings in a harrowing race against time.

Times and Winds (2006) Directed by Reha Erdam - Three youngsters lead difficult lives in a poor, rural mountain village in northern Turkey. Omer (Ozkan Ozen) hates his father, the village Imam, and imagines different ways to kill him. His friend Yakup (Ali Bey Kayali) has a secret infatuation with his teacher. Yildiz (Elit Iscan) must handle the housework handed out by her severe mother. Their tough existence is tempered by the wonder and excitement of youth, as their daily lives are divided into five sections, separated by prayer sessions.

Turtles Can Fly (2004) Directed by Bahman Ghobadi - In a Kurdish refugee camp in 2003, residents await the U.S. invasion of Iraq, hoping for Saddam's defeat but fearing a violent aftermath. Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) organizes children into work gangs, disarming and selling land mines to arms dealers. Satellite falls for Agrin (Avaz Latif), who comes to the camp with one-armed brother Hengov (Hiresh Feysal Rahman) and baby brother Riga (Abdol Rahman Karim). As the invasion starts, Satellite looks for a satellite dish so the camp can watch the war.

Ushpizin (2004) Directed by Gidi Dar - Moshe (Shuli Rand) and Malli (Michal Bat-Sheva Rand), an Orthodox Jewish couple in Jerusalem, are childless and without means to celebrate the weeklong holiday of Succoth. After much prayer, they receive unexpected money, and Moshe is told about an abandoned shack where he and Malli can properly deprive themselves and receive guests. However, they are visited by two ex-convicts with an unexpected link to Moshe's past, and the celebration becomes a series of emotional trials.

Vodka Lemon (2003) Directed by Hiner Saleem - Hamo (Romen Avinian) lives in a small village in rural Armenia after the fall of the Soviet Union. As the village struggles to find its identity in the post-Soviet world, Hamo grieves for his wife, taking the bus to the cemetery every day to visit her grave. One day he meets Nina (Lala Sarkissian), a poor bar owner, who is at the cemetery visiting the resting place of her husband. Hamo and Nina gradually build a relationship founded on commiseration.

Wadjda (2012) Directed by Haifa al-Mansour - A rebellious Saudi girl (Waad Mohammed) enters a Koran recitation competition at her school and hopes to win enough money to buy her own bicycle.

Walk on Water (2004) Directed by Eytan Fox - An Israeli Mossad agent is given the mission to track down and kill an ex-Nazi officer who might still be alive. Pretending to be a tourist guide, he befriends the Nazi's grandson, in Israel. The two men set out on a tour of the country during which the boy challenges the agent's values.

Waltz with Bashir (2008) Directed by Ari Folman - Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman wrote, directed and stars in this autobiographical animated film. As a 19-year-old infantry soldier in the 1982 war with Lebanon, Folman witnessed the Sabra and Shatila massacre, but realizes that he has no memory of the event. In 2006, he seeks out others who were in Beirut at the time to discuss their memories, including a psychologist specializing in post-traumatic stress disorders and the first journalist to cover the massacre.

Watchtower (2012) Directed by Pelin Esmer - Haunted by his dark past, a man takes a job as a fire warden in a remote tower in the wilderness, and is soon inexorably drawn towards a young woman with a terrible secret of her own.

Wedding Plan, The (2016) Directed by Rama Burshtein - A woman decides to keep the reservation after her fiancé cancels their wedding a month before the ceremony. She trusts that God will solve her problems and provide her with another husband.

Where Do We Go Now? (2011) Directed by Nadine Labaki - Muslim and Christian women (Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki) join forces to stem the tide of violence in their war-torn Middle Eastern village.

White Meadows, The (2009) Directed by Mohammad Rosoulof - Rahmat has been asked to meet the inhabitants of these islands to collect their tears. Although for years people have been giving their tears to Rahmat, no one knows exactly what he has been doing with them.

Willow Tree, The (2005) Directed by Majid Majidi - Youssef fears his life will never be the same after leaving home to have his cancer treated in France.

Winter Sleep (2014) Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan - 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 who is suffering from her recent divorce.

Yacoubian Building, The (2006) Directed by Marwen Hamed - In a run-down apartment building in downtown Cairo, engineer Zaki Pasha (Adel Emam) and his sister, Dawlat (Issad Younis), live off an inheritance from their father. Another prominent building resident, business magnate Haj Azzam (Nour El-Sherif), hides his second wife while pursuing a career in the Egyptian parliament. Their relatively well-off lives intersect with many others in the building, who struggle with corruption, sexual harassment and general social instability.

Yellow Asphalt (2000) Directed by Danny Verete - Three encounters between modern-day Israelis and the Bedouin people who are their colleagues, lovers and employees: A young Bedouin boy on a donkey is killed while crossing a highway; a German woman married to a Bedouin man and the mother of his children, decides she can no longer live according to tribal customs; the affair between an Israeli farmer and his family's Bedouin maid becomes apparent to the Bedouin young man also in his employ. These stories pit cultures against one another.

Zaytoun (2012) Directed by Eran Riklis - A young Palestinian refugee meets an Israeli fighter pilot and the pair develop a bond as they attempt to escape from Beirut in 1982. The boy wants to plant an olive tree to honor his father while the man wants to get home.

Zero Motivation (2014) Directed by Talya Lavie - Female Israeli soldiers are posted to a remote desert base and spend their time pushing paper until they can return to civilian life.