Diplomatic Viruses: a deeply disturbing film about a US military laboratory in Georgia
Diljana Gaytandzhieva, “Diplomatic Viruses” (Al Mayadeen, 2018) Bulgarian journalist Diljana Gaytandzhieva gained fame early in
Category: Middle Eastern Films
Reviews of films from Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
Undercover in Idlib: secret snapshot of jihadi-held Idlib province in northwestern Syria
Jenan Moussa, “Undercover in Idlib” (2017) Presented and narrated by Jenan Moussa, a reporter for
Those Who Said No: a slickly made and polished film that is less than honest about the politics of the activists it champions
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful
The Insult: a calculated and manipulative soap opera melodrama posing as a courtroom thriller
Ziad Doueiri, “The Insult” (2018) On one level, this Lebanese film illustrates the power of
Latin American Films (non-Spanish / non-Portuguese) | Middle Eastern Films
A depressing view of Israeli society in “Empire Files: Israelis Speak Candidly About Palestinians”
Abby Martin, “Empire Files: Israelis Speak Candidly About Palestinians” (October 2017) Abby Martin is an
No Date, No Signature: a traffic collision leads to an investigation of class conflict and an unsympathetic bureaucracy in a gritty realist drama
Vahid Jalilvand, “No Date, No Signature” (2017) A chance encounter between two characters who would
Foxtrot: a meditation on loss, grief and the circularity of indifference, suffering and brutality
Samuel Maoz, “Foxtrot” (2017) Divided into three parts, with the first and third parts dominated
Middle Eastern Films | North American Films
The Jimmy Dore Show: Interview with Carla Ortiz (23 April 2018) – exposing the reality behind the Syrian White Helmets
“The Jimmy Dore Show: Interview with Carla Ortiz” (23 April, 2018) A most unexpected surprise
The Baby: a snapshot of modern Tehran and young people caught between traditional family values and the temptations of city and university life
Ali Asgari, “The Baby / Bacheh” (2014) In the space of 16 minutes, we’re drawn
French and French-language Films | Middle Eastern Films
The Congress: good ideas and astute criticism of Hollywood and technology undone by a confused narrative
Ari Folman, “The Congress” (2013) Partly based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel “The Futurological Congress”, in