Films about the Middle East

offwego

Hi all, my girlfriend and I are travelling to the Middle East for a few months from February and would really appreciate it if anyone could recommend a few good films that would get us in the mood. Specifically, we'll be visiting Egypt, Jordna, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Israel. Local films would probably be preferred but anything really that is set in any of the above countries or engages with issues there would be great.

Thanks!

mike65

Er Lawrence of Arabia?

krudler

Transformers 2

AnonoBoy

Syriana?
The Men Who Stare at Goats?
Three Kings?

Coriolanus

The Kingdom?

http://worldfilm.about.com/od/middleeast/Middle_East.htm

That's a proper list of local films form the looks of it.

kraggy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Now

Very good film.

I presume you're aware OP that you need to go to Israel before you go to the other countries?

Syria and others won't let you in if you have an Israel stamp on your passport so you need to see Israel last. You probably know that already but just said I'd say it in case.

offwego

mike65 wrote: »

Er Lawrence of Arabia?

First one that sprang to mind

Nevore wrote: »

The Kingdom?

http://worldfilm.about.com/od/middleeast/Middle_East.htm

That's a proper list of local films form the looks of it.

Excellent link, thanks.

kraggy wrote: »

I presume you're aware OP that you need to go to Israel before you go to the other countries?

Syria and others won't let you in if you have an Israel stamp on your passport so you need to see Israel first. You probably know that already but just said I'd say it in case.

No problem, thanks for the advice. I've been planning since November though and well aware of the various visa issues. We're going through the Middle East, Central Asia and China and flying home from Shanghai, via Israel.

Stella777

these Turkish films all have Turkish directors and were filmed there, yet have received international awards/attention, so they should be available on DVD with subtitiles:

Gitmek: My Marlon and Brando

Mommo: The Bogeyman

Yol (this one is much older than the first two)

kraggy

offwego wrote: »

First one that sprang to mind



Excellent link, thanks.



No problem, thanks for the advice. I've been planning since November though and well aware of the various visa issues. We're going through the Middle East, Central Asia and China and flying home from Shanghai, via Israel.

Cool. Though just edited my post. Meant to say you need to see Israel last, not first.

Enjoy the trip.

Gardalover

The Black Stallion Returns (1983)

that would bring you in the rite mood!



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085248/

bonerm

I would recommend this if you're going to Iran http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808417/

Rodar08

Here's one for Isreal. I love this - although it's a documentary rather than a film I'm sure you'll love it too. I'm actually friends with Yarko now lol. Here's the link ... Hope you like it

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/promises/

conorhal

Check out the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwJgOrN1f4

Waltz With Bashir is an amazing animated documentary, it's hypnotic and a brilliant analysis of the impact of war on the individual as an Israeli soldier tries to recover his memory of the time he served in the war in Lebanon.

coldwood92

Kite runner
Not without my daughter

offwego

Thanks guys, keep them coming! I'll be calling into my local Laser DVD store tomorrow as they have a large international section.

Stella777

bonerm wrote: »

I would recommend this if you're going to Iran http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808417/

The above film (Persepolis) is a good rec even if you're not going to Iran. I wasn't sure what to expect as the whole concept seemed strange: an animated moive, in French, about the Iranian Revolution???? But it was most interesting.

Another good Iranian one is Offside. It's about hardcore female football fans who disguise themselves in men's clothing so they can sneak into the stadium for a big match. (Women aren't allowed at sporting events there.)

I can think of plenty of movies ABOUT the middle east, but they often portray the people there in a less than flattering light.

The first film that came to mind when you mentioned Turkey was Midnight Express, but many Turks HATED the way it showed them.

I used to have a Turkish housemate in college who was convinced Midnight Express was funded by the Armenians as anti-Turk propoganda. :rolleyes: Well, I'm not sure about THAT, but it did make them look pretty bad.

The screenwriter, Oliver Stone, even apologized to the Turks a few years back.

Doctor Zaius

There's a Lebanese film called Caramel, haven't seen it myself but it's meant to be very good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramel_%28film%29

Also heard good things about "Offside" but again haven't seen it yet, can't find a good copy of it. (cough).

Waltz with Bashir is class. I wasn't overly gone on Persepolis. I remember seeing a trailer last year for an Israeli film, I think it was about a lemon tree field. yeah its called etz limon.. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1172963/
not sure if the film is any good or not though.

slothrop

I would recommend the really enjoyable piece of film-making, which doesnt devolve to a patronising, hand-wringing oh-what-can-be-done for them position (like The Kite Bummer), Badkonake Sefid (1995).

This Iranian film is a tale of everyday Iranians in everyday urban Iran. It is subtitled and was released in the West as The White Balloon; it's fabular and charming.

Stella777

slothrop wrote: »

I would recommend the really enjoyable piece of film-making, which doesnt devolve to a patronising, hand-wringing oh-what-can-be-done for them position (like The Kite Bummer), Badkonake Sefid (1995)

This Iranian film is a tale of everyday Iranians in everyday urban Iran. It is subtitled and was released in the West as The White Balloon; it's fabular and charming.

Great suggestion. I loved that one too.

Morlar

Raid on Entebbe.
Valley of the wolves.
Defamation.
Death in Gaza.
Rachel.
Midnight express.
Munich.
Babel.
Syriana.
The Kingdom.

Sounds like a very interesting trip

offwego

Thanks so much for the suggestions guys, I'll make sure and let you know which ones I watched and what I thought of them. My girlfriend (who's going with me) and I are going to spend the weekend watching a few of them. I've been doing quite a lot of reading up about the region for the past couple of months and need a bit of respite from history books and essays!

Beruthiel

I watched Le Grand Voyage last week.

Reda, a young French-Moroccan guy and his old father drive from the south of France to Mecca in order for the father to do his pilgrimage.

A nice little film.


Yossi & Jagger

A romance blooms between two soldiers (both men) stationed in an Israeli outpost on the Lebanese border.

LiamMc

[onwego, You may have posted on other messageboards about your trip. I don't mean to begin with 'VISA stuff' but be wary of posters that confuse themselves when giving advice. Remember that your itinerary as stated has you arriving in Israel with a number of visas from countries Israel are hugely sensitive about. A 5 hour interview at Israeli Immigration should be expected (I know women who have had to endure over 9 hours in Immigration because of there travel history). This is at Ben Gurion Airport). I don't know if picking up fresh passports in Beijing is an option. Please be aware about it. One excuse is that you can show a lineiar travel itinerary all the way to China.]

Now the proper stuff
Divine Intervention, cannot recommend it highly enough. Came out in 2002, was not considered by the Oscar Academy that year because Palestine was not an Official country. Very nasty. A few different stories within it, the main one is a love affair between two Palestinians who have live in different parts of Palestinme and meet at a border check-point near Ramallah. Very Stylised, but doesn't forget the abuses visited on the Palestinians by the Israeli army.

One of the stylised scenes, Palestinians ordered away from a checkpoint at gunpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYsZhF5ciGQ&feature=related

Divine Intervention, Theatrical trailor [Spoilers]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFR8XcKg3k4&feature=related

Came across this (havn't seen it) Checkpoint Rock (2009), documentary about a tour in Palestine.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6571


The Yacoubian Building (2006) (have not seen it so Review may contain SPOILERS)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5501791
Famous building in Cairo, the original popular book creates some characters that live there. The eagerly-awaited film was opening or closing film festivals in the developing world in 2007.


Like a previous poster anything by Iranian Abbas Kiarostami or his daughter 'The Apple' '?The Cherry Tree?' she may have made 'The Circle'.

The Iranian actress that was in Body of Lies (with Matt Damon) Golshifteh Farahani may have done some quality stuff (Body of Lies wouldn't be on my list). At least when you reach Tehran you can say "Golshifteh Farahani, number one".
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0267042/#cameraX20andX20electricalX20department

And another poster mentioned Turkish 'Yol', very good. It was the Turkish film to see for a long time. Gets to different parts of the country, it's what you want.

Another film to avoid, but you may come across it because it's recent. '?The Lemon Tree'? or '?The Lemon Grove?' it's nasty in it's dishonesty. Israeli made film about Palestinian struggling with the authorities, but there's a pretence at equality and the violent aggressors are the Palestinians while the Israelis take their time for a considered decision.

Doctor Zaius

The Yacoubian Building, thats another one I must get round to watching, heard that it's very good.

Didn't realise that movie "The Lemon Tree" was slanted like that. Think the IFI and the lighthouse were both showing it towards the end of 2008, whenever the Baader Meinhof Complex was showing.

LiamMc

Doctor Zaius wrote: »

The Yacoubian Building, thats another one I must get round to watching, heard that it's very good.

Didn't realise that movie "The Lemon Tree" was slanted like that. Think the IFI and the lighthouse were both showing it towards the end of 2008, whenever the Baader Meinhof Complex was showing.

Rather than Etz Limon (The Lemon tree), Maybe a film that has both Hiam Abass (very prolific Palestinian actress) and Ali Suleiman is Pomegranates and Myr ( Al Mor wa Al Rumman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgofDQxSGRQ&feature=related

The Night is an older Palestinain film based on general history of the area during WWII and 1948.

A New Delhi run an Arab/Asian film festival every year in July. (Although Arab/Asian tagline was dropped this year). They might have clues as to upcoming treats.

2009
http://64.38.56.174/filmlist.aspx

Archive
http://www.osians.com/cinefan10/archives.php


One little known film from China, The Case by Wang Fe. It is shot in a very touristy historic town in Yunnan Province (I don't know the town's name). Dark slate roofs, with cobbled street in a fertile mountain area. The lead characters are a couple that run a hostel for tourists. It's tightly shot, full of facial expressions and sight-gags then the big landscape movies assoc. with China. It could have been a French comedy.
There's nothing lacking in the quality.

But it was a tourist revenue inspired film as 9 other films were commissioned by Yunnan province at the same time.
http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/32632889/Artistic-Visions-in-a-Commercial-Realm--the-Yunnan-New-Film-Project

"Summary: The article focuses on the Yunnan New Film Project produced by Lola Zhang. Zhang drew 10 young female directors from a range of creative fields and brought them to Yunnan Province, China to direct 10 films. Two of the Yunnan films mentioned were "The Case (Xiangzi)" by documentary filmmaker Wang Fen, which is a tale of repressed small town desires, and "The Park (Gongyuan)" by writer Yin Lichuan, which is a tale of parent-child alienation and generational conflict."

More on Yunnan Film Project
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/yunnan/film_project.html


[If the moderators don't mind partial repeat posting, I'd like to start a 'Film Tourism' thread]