Middle Eastern Challenge - Official; August 2018

[sol]

[Pictured: Abbas Kiarostami's masterpiece, The Wind Will Carry Us]

Middle East Challenge
Goal
Watch as many Middle Eastern movies as you can from August 1, 2018 to August 31, 2018.

What is a Middle Eastern Film?
- Any film listed with a Middle Eastern nation as first country of production on IMDb automatically qualifies
- Any film shot entirely on location in a Middle East country automatically qualifies
- Any film listed in one of the Official lists below automatically qualifies
- Any other film that you genuinely believe to be a Middle Eastern movie qualifies. You should be prepared to back up your reasoning though. At a minimum, a film should have either a Middle Eastern producer/production company attached, OR a Middle Eastern country listed under the 'Country' section on the film IMDb's page, OR a significant number of Middle Eastern cast/crew members, OR substantial scenes shot in the Middle East.

Rules
- Each feature film (over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- 60 minutes of short films counts as one entry.
- 120 minutes of TV episodes counts as one entry.
- The usual miniseries rule applies (ask if unsure).
- Rewatches are allowed and are good for the soul.

I reserve the right to exclude participants who intentionally number their viewings incorrectly. If you play the game, you're expected to play properly.

DEADLINE
Final results will be posted between 11:30am and 12:00pm GMT on September 2 - at which point it will have been September everywhere in the world for almost a whole day. While you are welcome to post updates beyond this point, any such updates will not be included in the final results. Your choice whether you miss the deadline or not; besides, if it's September on your side of the world, shouldn't you be starting on one of next month's challenges, mm?

Eligible countries (according to Wikipedia):

Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

I'm aware that there is some debate about which countries are and are not part of the Middle East. Happy to take suggestions and bow to the consensus.

Stuck for ideas of what to watch? Look no further:

Official Lists
DIFF's 100 Greatest Arab Films
ekolay.net's Best Turkish Films
Film magazine's Best Iranian Films
UNESCO Memory List (eligible country sections only)
Asian Cinema: A Field Guide (eligible country sections only)

Non-Official Lists
Israeli Film: A Reference Guide
Bibliotheca Alexandrina's Most Important 100 Egyptian films

This thread will be updated at least twice a day (more often if I am around and feel like it). Since I am updating manually, I would appreciate it if you list new films seen in a new post. If you would prefer just to endlessly edit your original post, please let me know so that I remember to check your post.

Participants

Rank	iCMer	# of Watches
1	RogerTheMovieManiac88	51
2	psychotronicbeatnik	50
3	Mate cosido	48
4	OldAle1	40
5	Eve-Lang-El-Coup	34
6	3eyes	16
7	sebby	15
7	sol	15
9	maxwelldeux	13
10	nimimerkillinen	12
11	jdidaco	10
12	ororama	7
13	flaiky	6
13	zuma	6
15	allisoncm	5
15	Fergenaprido	5
15	flavo5000	5
15	hurluberlu	5
19	zzzorf	4
20	72allinncallme	3
20	Gershwin	3
20	morrison-dylan-fan	3
20	albajos	3
24	cinephage	2
25	blocho	1
25	Lonewolf2003	1
25	tommy_leazaq	1

[blueboybob]

Links to titles you've rated from each country (so after rating some movies, you can open some links and see if stuff shows up) -- no guarantees these movies qualify, but it is a good start

Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

[zuma]

In

[3eyes]

In. Lots of triples here.

couple of oddballs I've seen:
+Al-Boom (Oman 2006, 105m)
+Za'er / Visitor (Bahrain 2004, 87m)

In case anyone cares, here are some Kurdish directors (iffy if exiles count):
Iran: Bahman Ghobadi, Shahram Mokri, Jamil Rostami (Iran), Shahram Qadir (Iran-Sweden);
Iraq: Hiner Saleem (Iraq), Hisham Zaman, Halkawt Mustafa (Iraq-Norway), Karzan Kader (Iraq-Sweden), Jano Rosebiani (Iraq-US);
Syria: Wiam Bedirxan (Syria [woman]), Mano Kahlil (Syria-Switzerland).
Turkey: Zeynel Dogan, Yilmaz Güney, Huseyin Karabey (Turkey), +Yüksel Yavuz (Turkey-Germany)

[maxwelldeux]

Availability on common platforms (US data):

Amazon Prime: https://trakt.tv/search/movies/?watchno ... y,tr,ae,ye
Netflix: https://trakt.tv/search/movies/?watchno ... y,tr,ae,ye

[sebby]

Oh boy, am I in.

[Gershwin]

It's been a while since I participated in a challenge, but my holidays have almost started, so this seems the right moment. I'm in!

[3eyes]

1. Darbare 111 dokhtar / (About) 111 girls (Iran 12) (Triple)

One wild twisty Kurdish road movie. Intensely political and I laughed a lot. (Amazon Prime US)

what I made of it

A government official from Tehran is on a mission to stop the threatened mass suicide of 111 girls in Irani Kurdistan. He is thwarted at every turn, one misadventure after another. The girls are demanding pan-Kurdish independence and the Irani and Turkish governments are determined to reframe it as a gender issue.

[OldAle1]

If it weren't for other life issues, this would be the challenge I'd try to win. As it is I'll be happy to see a few, and I'm sure I'll hit my minimum of 10 in any case if life doesn't get too in the way.

[jdidaco]

In. Thanks for stepping in, sol!

[cinephage]

I don't think I'll watch many films from this challenge, still...

01. Wadjda, by Haifaa Al-Mansour (2012) 8/10

[allisoncm]

1. El haram/The Sin (1965) Egypt

[sebby]

01 a time for drunken horses 2000 - 6/10
02 Cheraghi dar meh 2008 - 8/10

[3eyes]

2. Ashkan, angoshtar-e motebarek va dastan-haye digar / Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories (Iran 09) - Rewatch (triple)
Deadpan absurdity by the director of Mahi va gorbeh / Fish & cat.

[maxwelldeux]

1. Under the Shadow (2016, Iran)

I saw someone describe this as "Babadook - Iranian edition", and that's pretty accurate. This was placed culturally during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, and it was interesting to see the influence of that situation on the film. Good tension build, and it definitely held the creepy factor. Solid watch and a good way to kick off this challenge.

[jdidaco]

1. Kharij al-Hayat/Hors la vie (Out of Life, Maroun Bagdadi, 1991) 8/10
2. Al-mohager/L'émigré (The Emigrant, Youssef Chahine, 1994) 9/10

[sol]

So, I decided that should finally watch something eligible for this Challenge given that I am hosting it and all.

1. A Time for Drunken Horses (2000) Iran



Set near the Iran/Iraq border, the film makes good use of the region's natural vistas with pretty yet bitterly cold snowy landscapes that the child protagonists must trek through. The film is a true celebration of family unity with all concerned acting selflessly. Amaneh Ekhtiar-dini as the wide-eyed youngest sister and Madi Ekhtiar-dini as the unwell brother are both very good with an acute bit in which Madi watches others argue about him from a distance, perhaps (or perhaps not) understanding.

EDIT: Actually, make that two somethings:

2. Footnote (2011) Israel



Shlomo Bar-Aba and Lior Ashkenazi are both excellent as father and son respectively with the resentment and estrangement between the pair heartfelt, most notably early on as the son makes a speech about his father with the camera focused entirely on father's reactions. The small room meeting in the midsection of the film also simmers with tension. Some of the comedy (the fencing outfit) is a bit out of place and the film really peters out towards the end, but the overall impact is hard to shake. What an intense (and sad) father/son relationship.

[Lonewolf2003]

1. Shabhaye Zayendeh-Rood (1990) - hard to rate a movie that clearly suffers from a 1/3rd being cut out of it due to censorship

[hurluberlu]

1. Ivy / Sarmasik (Tolga Karaçelik, 2015) [Turkey] 6+

[maxwelldeux]

2. My Father and My Son (2005, Turkey)

The movie opens on a man coming home to his pregnant wife, who subsequently goes into labor. Through some complications, she dies, and he's left to raise his son. Years later, he moves home with his son to visit his estranged father, and his son and father slowly get to know each other. This was a heartbreaking film. I was not in the mood to cry, but it got me. The family relationships were at the forefront of the film, and it was a beautiful exposition of them. Plus, a nice slice of life in a small Turkish village. Added to my favorites list.

Reminder: NOT the Mid-West

1. Under the Shadow (2016, Iran)
2. My Father and My Son (2005)

[Mate_cosido]

1. Nun va Goldoon - A Moment of Innocence (1996, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran) *rewatch

2. Salaam Cinema - Hello Cinema (1995, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran) *rewatch

3. Kafr kasem - The Massacre of Kafr Kassem (1975, Borhane Alaouié, Syria/Lebanon)

4. Captain Abu Raed (2008, Amin Matalqa, Jordan)

[maxwelldeux]

3. Where Should the Birds Fly (2013, Palestine)

This was a documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and the effects of it on the people who live in the Gaza strip. Fascinating and heart-breaking documentary. You see people struggling needlessly, and being harassed while simply trying to make a living. Easily the saddest thing was the interview with the 10-year-old girl who, when asked if she lost any immediate family members during the latest bombing, responded "Oh, not many. Just my father, mother, two sisters-in-law, and my nephew". Not happy, but important.

4. Shorts:
P Like Pelican (1972, Iran, 25m)
The Night It Rained (1967, Iran, 35m)

A couple Iranian shorts. P Like Pelican was about a hermit teaching the alphabet, who wanted to see a pelican, like what they were using for the letter P. The Night it Rained was a mystery documentary investigating the claim that a young boy stopped a train. The former I didn't connect with, and the latter just didn't pass the "so what?" test for me.

Reminder: NOT the Mid-West

1. Under the Shadow (2016, Iran)
2. My Father and My Son (2005, Turkey)
3. Where Should the Birds Fly (2013, Palestine)
"4. Shorts:
P Like Pelican (1972, Iran, 25m)
The Night It Rained (1967, Iran, 35m)"

[sebby]

03 leila 1997 - 6.5/10

if you like farhadi surely you'll dig this.

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Spoiler

01 a time for drunken horses 2000 - 6/10
02 Cheraghi dar meh 2008 - 8/10
03 leila 1997 - 6.5/10
04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

[Gershwin]

1. Shabhaye Zayendeh-Rood (1990) - hard to rate a movie that clearly suffers from a 1/3rd being cut out of it due to censorship

Thanks for paving the way - I'll skip that one.

[sol]

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

[nimimerkillinen]

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

at least it fits this unofficial challenge
viewtopic.php?p=471632#p471632

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

Hi sol! Thanks ever so much for stepping in and hosting. Hoping to focus to a reasonable extent on this challenge for August. My familiarity with the cinema(s) of the Middle East is so poor and sadly limited and it would be nice to broaden my horizons a little.

1. 'Gurbet Kuşları' / 'Birds of Exile' / 1964, Halit Refig / 7.5/10 / Turkey
2. 'Rassaelle Chafahyia' / 'Oral Messages' / 1991, Abdellatif Abdelhamid / 7/10 / Syria
3. 'Rabih' / 'Tramontane' / 2016, Vatche Boulghourjian / 8/10 / Lebanon / France / Qatar / UAE

Refig's 'Birds of Exile', adapted from stage and novel, offers melodrama and strands of intersecting humanity in new city surrounds. A film of perception and idealisation, dislocation and emotional travails and a film that's often exquisitely and moodily shot. I found myself making favourable comparisons to such films as 'The Luck of Ginger Coffey' and 'La vie heureuse de Léopold Z'.

[morrison-dylan-fan]

Hi Sol,thanks for running this challenge,and I'm kicking off with Dariush Mehrjui's writing/directing debut: the 007-spoof Diamond 33 (1967)

I believe there are no reviews/or details of the movie around online.

All FTV's unless stated:

1: Diamond 33 (1967)8 Iran

Possibly the only Iranian 007-style film, co-writer/ (with Mohammad Reza Fazeli) debuting director Dariush Mehrjui fits right in with the spirit of the Euro Spy genre of the era,as Mehrjui & cinematographer Mostafa Alemian give the country the appearance of an exotic location straight from Bond,complete with speedboat chases across a glittering river and thrilling action scenes of rolling cars,vicious karate chops and fiery shoot-outs. Showing an eye for style that would take on a darker tone in The Cow, Mehrjui offers a rare glimpse to the swinging 60’s Iran (!) in a delicious kitsch design of bubbly reds,yellows and the evil lair of the baddie looking like a nightclub, along with the glamour of all the ladies being in alluring figure-hugging dresses.


Releasing the starting pistol with a pre-credits assassination, (sadly no theme song for credits)the screenplay by Mehrjui and Fazeli cut some satirical diamonds with the secret formula which allows for stones to be made from oil, but largely stay focused on the espionage hi-jinxes of Linda,who high- kicks any animated baddie who tries to get their hands on the formula. Being somewhat ahead of the curve by having Linda be the lead spy, the writers give the interplay between her and Reza the sparks of a “caper” movie,which sparkle from kisses together in the bath, to knocking henchmen overboard on a ship. Charming Linda and all the evil guys,Reza Fazeli gives a pitch-perfect performance as energetic heart-throbe Reza. The first of two Iranian films she did, Nancy Kovack gives a magnetic performance as Linda,whose rush to jump in the middle of the action is tied by Kovack with a calculating edge over making sure the baddies don’t get the 33 diamonds.

[sebby]

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

the film is chiefly about the refugee crisis, one of the two protagonists is syrian, roughly half the dialogue is arabic

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

the film is chiefly about the refugee crisis, one of the two protagonists is syrian, roughly half the dialogue is arabic

Wonder whether Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' might be eligible, hehe. I haven't yet seen that one...

[Mate_cosido]

5. Tepenin Ardi (2012, Emin Alper, Turkey)

6. Kis Uykusu - Winter Sleep (2014, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey)

7. Yek Etefagh sadeh - A Simple Event (1974, Sohrab Shahid Saless, Iran)

Seen so far:

1. Nun va Goldoon - A Moment of Innocence (1996, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran) *rewatch

2. Salaam Cinema - Hello Cinema (1995, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran) *rewatch

3. Kafr kasem - The Massacre of Kafr Kassem (1975, Borhane Alaouié, Syria/Lebanon)

4. Captain Abu Raed (2008, Amin Matalqa, Jordan)

5. Tepenin Ardi (2012, Emin Alper, Turkey)

6. Kis Uykusu - Winter Sleep (2014, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey)

7. Yek Etefagh sadeh - A Simple Event (1974, Sohrab Shahid Saless, Iran)

[Gershwin]

Nice streak, Mate_cosido! Three of my favourites in a row. Did you enjoy (any of) these films?

[sebby]

05 paradise now 2005 - 6/10

Spoiler

01 a time for drunken horses 2000 - 6/10
02 Cheraghi dar meh 2008 - 8/10
03 leila 1997 - 6.5/10
04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10
05 paradise now 2005 - 6/10

[sol]

04 the other side of hope 2017 - 6.5/10

does this count? i think it counts.

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

the film is chiefly about the refugee crisis, one of the two protagonists is syrian, roughly half the dialogue is arabic

Sure... but as far as I can tell, none of the creative input into the film is Middle Eastern in origin, nor does the film use any Middle Eastern locations or is any of the financing from the Middle East, so I don't think I would be serving the integrity of the Challenge if I allowed it. I am very wary of setting precedents. And Roger is right; if we permitted The Other Side of Hope, we would have to permit The Passion of the Christ, and probably also the dozens of US films out there about the Diaspora experience of Jews; I mean, over half the dialogue in Hester Street is similarly in Yiddish.

That said, I open to other opinions on the matter, so if anyone reading this thinks that I am being too harsh on sebby, please chime in.

[flavo5000]

1. Baskin (2015, Turkey)

[allisoncm]

Spoiler

1. El haram/The Sin (1965) Egypt

2. Giv'a 24 Eina Ona/Hill 24 Doesn't Answer (1955) Israel

[maxwelldeux]

5. Salaam Cinema (1995)

Fascinating look at Iranian culture, and really interesting to see just how similar we all are. I thought this was very good - fun to see open casting, and great to see how people behaved in such a situation. Ultimately, I didn't connect with it as much as I wanted because I thought the director was a dick, but an enjoyable film nonetheless.

Reminder: NOT the Mid-West

1. Under the Shadow (2016, Iran)
2. My Father and My Son (2005, Turkey)
3. Where Should the Birds Fly (2013, Palestine)
"4. Shorts:
P Like Pelican (1972, Iran, 25m)
The Night It Rained (1967, Iran, 35m)"
5. Salaam Cinema (1995)

[jdidaco]

3. Gizli Yüz (The Secret Face, Ömer Kavur, 1991) 8/10
4. Karanlik sular (The Serpent's Tale, Kutlug Ataman, 1994) 8/10

Spoiler

1. Kharij al-Hayat/Hors la vie (Out of Life, Maroun Bagdadi, 1991) 8/10
2. Al-mohager/L'émigré (The Emigrant, Youssef Chahine, 1994) 9/10

[sebby]

Finnish film from a Finnish writer/director, shot entirely in Finland with a mostly Finnish cast and crew. I wouldn't say that it counts, but as per the rules of the Challenge, you're allowed to include anything that you genuinely believe to be Middle Eastern, so I am prepared to permit it... if you're able to make a convincing case for it.

the film is chiefly about the refugee crisis, one of the two protagonists is syrian, roughly half the dialogue is arabic

Sure... but as far as I can tell, none of the creative input into the film is Middle Eastern in origin, nor does the film use any Middle Eastern locations or is any of the financing from the Middle East, so I don't think I would be serving the integrity of the Challenge if I allowed it. I am very wary of setting precedents. And Roger is right; if we permitted The Other Side of Hope, we would have to permit The Passion of the Christ, and probably also the dozens of US films out there about the Diaspora experience of Jews; I mean, over half the dialogue in Hester Street is similarly in Yiddish.

That said, I open to other opinions on the matter, so if anyone reading this thinks that I am being too harsh on sebby, please chime in.

how a film is financed should have little bearing, as there are countless examples of this country or that financing a film from a completely different nation.

creatives? last i checked the most famous current director of american films is a brit. and shit, hitchcock too. a brit.

where a film is shot shouldn't carry so much weight either. is an american cowboy film shot in mexico but set in NM a mexican film? many examples of this. location isn't so important.

for me it's about central theme/plot (check), main character or characters (check), and spoken language (check) more than these smaller concerns. the question regarding TOSOH is simply whether a large enough % of the film is imbued with these characteristics.

i'm open to people who have actually seen the film weighing in on this. it's certainly not a finnish film. it's a finnish/arab film. up to the peanut gallery to decide if it is enough of the latter to count for this challenge. if a majority of folks who have seen the film and represent a large enough number (let's say 5+) agree with you, then i'll strike it from my tally.

[RogerTheMovieManiac88]

You'd have a point if this was an Arab Challenge, sebby. It isn't. It's a challenge devoted to the cinemas of the Middle East.