Arab Cinema Takes Center Stage at the Oscars: Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Palestine, and Iraq Submit Films for Best International Feature
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Raven Ruma
- . October 15, 2024
- . Update: October 15, 2024 6:22 pm
Long a respected venue for non-English films to present their art on a worldwide scene, the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category, originally called Best Foreign Language Film in 1947, this genre emphasizes the rich narrative and several points of view from all around. The first runner in the category, Italian Shoe Shine by Vittorio De Sica, established the standard for decades of cross-cultural film interaction. About eighty years forward, the 2025 Oscar race is looking to be shaped by many Arab world submissions as movies from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Palestine, and Iraq fight for a spot on the coveted shortlist.
With the October 2 submission date for the 2025 Academy Awards fast approaching, these nations’ films offer global audiences a glimpse into the core of Arab culture, history, and resilience, therefore highlighting both local and universal themes.
Egypt’s entrance: Flight404
Hani Khalifa’s tense drama Flight 404 is Egypt’s Oscar submission this year. Under the captivating direction of Mona Zaki, the film examines the conflict between personal desire and the restrictions of financial adversity. Playing Ghada, a woman on her way to Makkah for the Hajj pilgrimage, Zaki’s plans are knocked off course as she runs across people from her turbulent past. Ghada must negotiate hazardous circumstances in a race against time to guarantee her path forward.
Flight 404 is especially culturally relevant since it is the first Egyptian movie to film scenes in Saudi Arabia. Showcasing theaters all throughout the Arab East in January, the movie was a financial triumph with over $3 million gross. Now on Shahid Plus, Flight 404 presents a riveting, emotionally powerful story exploring the complexity of faith, despair, and atonement.
Morocco’s submission: Everyone loves Touda
With Everybody Loves Touda, a movie by eminent director Nabil Ayouch, Moroccan film also makes its impression on the international scene. Originally showing at the Cannes Film Festival, the film chronicles Touda, a Sheikha—a traditional Moroccan singer—played by Nisrin Erradi. Touda, a single mother trying to establish herself, fantasizes of leaving her little town and being well-known in Casablanca. As she negotiates a world dominated by men, though, her path is rife with both internal and outside obstacles.
The movie has been praised for its embrace of Moroccan musical tradition and strong performances. James Mottram of The National called the film a “euphoric watch,” praising Erradi’s performance as Touda as she blends the emotional weight of the narrative with the vivid vitality of the musical pieces. The movie deftly examines ambition, custom, and the costs involved in following one’s aspirations.
Algeria’s hopeful is Algiers
Algiers, Algeria’s contribution directed by Chakib Taleb-Bendiab, has a more somber tone and addresses the horrifying issue of child kidnapping. Filmed in the busy Algerian city, it chronicles the kidnapping of a small child and the ensuing search conducted under the direction of a police inspector and psychiatrist. Working relentlessly to get the youngster home, they together untangle the sinister undercurrents in the city.
Strong performances by Meriem Medjkane, Nabil Asli, and Hichem Mesbah have helped Algiers—which reflects on urban life in Algeria—to be lauded for its gripping story. The movie is analogous to Z, the 1969 political thriller that turned out to be the first Arab movie to capture an Oscar. By piecing together a tight, emotional narrative of grief, hope, and the quest of justice, Algiers attempts to duplicate that achievement.
Palestine’s Special Offering: From Ground Zero
From Ground Zero, a collection of 22 short films offers a multifarious picture of life in Gaza seen through the prism of local filmmakers. Under the direction of Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharowitz, this ambitious production first meant to premiere at Cannes but subsequently opened the Amman International Film Festival. From resiliency in the face of sorrow to moments of delight in unlikely locations, the movies in From Ground Zero probe a broad spectrum of experiences.
One excellent short, Recycling, directed by Rabab Khamis, shows the terrible reality of limited resources. It centers on a mother in Gaza who uses a single bucket of water to cater to her children’s needs, clean the house, and do washing, therefore stressing the creativity and hardships of daily living under blockade. To give the whole story complexity and variation, this anthology also includes artistic devices including animation, puppetry, and stop-motion. From Ground Zero not only highlights the struggles Palestinians experience but also emphasizes the great resiliency and inventiveness that still blossom among misery.
Entry for Iraq: Baghdad Messi
Baghdad Messi, a moving drama directed by Sahim Omar Kalifa based on his own 2012 short film under the same name, entered Iraq for the Oscars. The plot revolves on a small child who dreams of being a football player like his idol Lionel Messi even though he loses his leg during the US invasion of Iraq. Equipped just with crutches and a strong will, the lad keeps playing football with his buddies, not allowing his handicap to define his passion for the game.
Supported by Belgian filmmakers and a screenplay penned by Kobe Van Steenberghe, Baghdad Messi has already shown at elite events including the Shanghai International Film Festival in China and the Ostend Film Festival in Belgium. The film is a great candidate for the Best International Feature Film category since viewers can relate to its gentle depiction of tenacity in the face of insurmountable challenges.
The Rising Profile of Arab Cinema at the Oscars
The entries from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Palestine, and Iraq capture the vivid, varied narrative Arab films offer for the world scene. These movies provide universal lessons of optimism, resiliency, and humanity together with special insights into the political, social, and cultural reality of the area. Aiming to carry on the heritage of Arab film at the Oscars and maybe win home the prized golden statuette, these entries reflect the expectations of their countries as the 2025 Academy Awards get closer.
Now more competitive than ever, the Best International Feature Film category only time will tell which of these compelling tales will make it to the final shortlist. One thing is certain, though: these movies merit their position in the forefront as the Arab world’s cinematic voice is louder and more powerful than it has ever been.
