A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Reviews of films from Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
British Films, Middle Eastern Films
Craig Murray, “Ceaseless Fire” (2025) Continuing his tour of Lebanon, UK citizen journalist Craig Murray visits southern Lebanon to find that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)…
British Films, Middle Eastern Films
Craig Murray, “What the Hell is that?” (2025) Currently visiting the Middle East as a citizen foreign-correspondent journalist, British ex-diplomat Craig Murray chanced to see part…
Arabic-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Mohamed Kordofani, “Goodbye Julia” (2023) A morning car accident becomes an unlikely catalyst in a plot that explores the complicated relationship, with all its differences, prejudices…
“The Testimonies Project: Testimonies after COVID-19 vaccination” (The Israeli People’s Committee, 2021) In early 2021 the Israeli government began a drive to get as many Israeli…
Kaveh Mazaheri, “Retouch” (2017) A stunning character study of a married woman, submissive to her bullying husband, who is unexpectedly given a new lease of life…
Middle Eastern Films, North American Films
Carlton Meyer, “The Conquest of the Republic of Georgia in 2003” (Tales of the American Empire, May 2020) One of a series of films by former…
Arabic-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Pavel Serezhkin, “Profiles in Courage: ENN Middle East reporter Gertrude Bellinger” (2019) Written and produced by The Grayzone journalist Rania Khalek who plays ENN Middle East…
Valeria Dakhovich Molchanova, “Routine” (2017) Astonishingly I found this film about an every-person character’s daily routine over a number of days far less boring than he…
Arabic-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Nadine Labaki, “Capharnaum” (2018) I’m sure plenty of children around the world are serving time in juvenile centres for serious criminal acts including stabbing a man…
Bahram Beyzai, “Death of Yazdgerd / Mard Yazdgerd” (1982) Running close to 2 hours with a small cast, a heavy emphasis on dialogue to push its…