The Top 20 Greatest Films from the Middle East and North Africa
by EmboldenedLoser | created - 03 Oct 2015 | updated - 1 month ago | Public(I wrote the following material years ago and I'm too lazy to parse through everything and edit it to a refined, leaner presentation. It would take a gallant effort and be an upheaval. If there's any inconsistencies and errors then it's your fault for noticing them.)
To begin, it should obviously be noted that this list isn't necessarily limited to films made specifically in the Middle East, but also includes films from North Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia - extensions of the so-called 'Arab world', outside of what's mostly recognized as the Middle East), South Asia (India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan), and Central Asia (Afghanistan). This choice was ultimately made for the obvious reasons that, often in Western discourse when discussing the Middle East, countries outside of the Middle East in those areas chronicled above often get thrown into discussions about the Middle East because of the role of Islam in their cultures... and also (disappointingly) because many ignorant and misinformed (i.e. racist and xenophobic) Westerners think that all 'brown people over there' (also known pejoratively as "the Muslim world" by many Westerners) are homogeneous, and thus viewed as such as a dangerous and vile monolith. Though geography would conclusively proclaim otherwise, which states get lumped into the category of "the Middle East" is mostly determined by its (negatively stereotyped) reputation in the imaginations of the international community -- 'brown people' who enforce Islam, oppress women and minorities, and who (militaristically and/or ideologically) support 'terrorism'. (That's how we sometimes get Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan, Bengali-speakers in Bangladesh, native French-speaking north Africans, and the Persian-majority in Iran all conveniently bundled up together under this neat "Middle East" handle.) Additionally, I chose that specific title to the list because titling it as "The Top 20 Greatest Films from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia" is a bit too clunky, especially considering how most Westerners are unfamiliar with what exactly constitutes as North Africa and South Asia, so I thought that the shorter and less confusing title would (hopefully) suffice. What I'm trying to say here is that it's all very messy and complicated. I can't really understand it either.
In parenthesis, beneath my personal commentary of each film, will be the Middle Eastern country that the movie was from. I ultimately chose to do this because Western films that cover and take place in the Middle East are sometimes mistaken by Western audiences as actual films from there. A few examples of that include "Persepolis" (from France), "Incendies" (from Canada), "Mustang" (from France), "Slumdog Millionaire" (from the U.K.), "Gandhi" (from the U.K.), "The Namesake" (from the U.S.A.), "Water" (from Canada), Fatih Akin's films such as "Head-On" and "The Edge of Heaven" (both from Germany). I'll concede that for some of these movies it was a bit of a stretch in trying to pinpoint only one country of origin to them, when it was typically much more complicated and less nuanced than that (see "Turtles Can Fly" for one example of just that).
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The overall filmmaking industry across the Middle East remains one of the more underappreciated international markets of cinema, overlooked by both western and non-western audiences alike. The wider world as a whole ignorantly misunderstands the Middle East as pejoratively nothing more than a place of 'terrorism, Islam, and female inequality'. Whether left-right, liberal-conservative, what gets lost in the conversation about this part of the world are the political complexities, histories with near and afar empires, and the mistrust of foreign powers that have wrought the region with elitist corruption and a sense of despair among their young people (who make up large parts of their respective states' populace). Arguably worst of all, the identity - the individual and the human - of the peoples both living in and from the area have been devalued to scorn from a world entrenched with xenophobia and racism; becoming "the other" in the eyes of many. That's where the broader cinema of the Middle East comes in: Films produced directly from the region have provided people from there a voice and platform to tell their stories and express themselves, without interloping orientalists reducing them to merely stereotypes and caricatures, as is commonplace with media works produced outside of the Middle East (the West has been the most at guilt of this). If you would like to learn more about the Middle East, it's best to go straight to the source than relying instead mostly on white, western sources (such as myself). Movies from the region touch on many heavy topics, such as hopelessness, individuality, family issues, damaging wars and conflicts, gender parity, political freedom, deconstructing religious orthodoxy, divisions within society and culture, to name more than a few. Though, these films are much more than that - as are most films - and they shouldn't be labeled to only as such.
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Below is the number count of movies that I've seen by each country in and around the Middle Eastern region. In total, I've seen 79 films from the area, spanning across 14 countries -- Iran, Zionist entity, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Morocco, Jordan, and Iraq. If there are any movies from that particular country that I have seen, but is not included in the rankings, then they will all be alphabetically-listed in parenthesis next to their respective countries (directly beneath here). An asterisk (*) next to a movie indicates that I intend to add that selected one to the ranking (and with my commentary on the movie) whenever I actually get to it:
1.) Iran -- 32 (Films that missed the cut for the list: 24 Frames; Baran; Children of Heaven; The Circle; The Color of Paradise; Crimson Gold; Fireworks Wednesday; Gabbeh; Kandahar; Hit the Road; No Date No Signature; No One Knows About Persian Cats; Offside; Taxi Tehran; The Past; The Song of Sparrows; This Is Not a Film; Through the Olive Trees; A Time for Drunken Horses; Turtles Can Fly; Under the Shadow; The White Balloon; The Wind Will Carry Us)
2.) Zionist entity -- 13 (Ajami; The Band's Visit; A Borrowed Identity; Eyes Wide Open; Footnote; Foxtrot; Gett; In Between; Lemon Tree; Out in the Dark; Zero Motivation)
T-3.) Turkey -- 5 (About Dry Grasses; Three Monkeys; The Wild Pear Tree)
T-3.) Egypt -- 5 (Asmaa; Clash; Sheikh Jackson)
T-3.) Lebanon -- 5 (The Attack; The Insult; Caramel; Where Do We Go Now?)
T-6.) Palestine -- 4 (Omar; Paradise Now; The Present)
T-6.) Syria -- 4 (For Sama; Last Men in Aleppo; Return to Homs; The Cave)
8.) Tunisia -- 3 (As I Open My Eyes; Beauty and the Dogs; Nefta Football League)
T-9.) Algeria -- 2 (Days of Glory)
T-9.) Morocco -- 2 (Horses of God; The Blue Caftan)
T-11.) Mauritania -- 1
T-11.) Saudi Arabia -- 1 (Wadjda)
T-11.) Jordan -- 1 (Theeb)
T-11.) Iraq -- 1 (Son of Babylon)
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1. Close-Up (1990)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami | Stars: Hossain Sabzian, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Abolfazl Ahankhah, Mehrdad Ahankhah
Votes: 23,046 | Gross: $0.00M
My rating - 9.5/10
It's no wonder that this film is considered to be his magnum-opus, and was voted as the 43rd-greatest film of all time in "Sight & Sound" magazine's 2012 poll of the greatest movies of all time. This part-narrative/part-documentary film is just quite possibly one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring movies ever made, in my opinion. Probably my favorite aspect of this masterpiece by Kiarostami, is how the main character, a definitive cinephile, loves movies because it gives him a reason for hope and a way to feel accepted, providing him a way to express himself, in a country where poor individuals like him are brutally mistreated under their human rights-violating Islamist fundamentalist government.
(As per mid-2022 it's ascended to the top spot. I don't feel like posting an updated entry for the occasion.)
(Iran)
2. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Animation, Biography
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
Director: Ari Folman | Stars: Ari Folman, Ron Ben-Yishai, Ronny Dayag, Ori Sivan
Votes: 60,426 | Gross: $2.28M
My rating - 9/10
Ari Folman's interestingly animated documentary about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by Israel is one of the great documentaries. It's an almost near-perfect anti-war film because of the experience we go through during the moments told in throughout the invasion feel so real and true to what war feels like for the innocent civilians, as well as the Israeli soldiers. The amazing animation goes astonishingly-well with its unorthodox documentary-narrative.
(Zionist entity)
3. The Square (2013)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A group of Egyptian revolutionaries battle leaders and regimes, risking their lives to build a new society of conscience.
Director: Jehane Noujaim | Stars: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam
Votes: 9,404 | Gross: $0.12M
My rating - 9/10
Egypt's 2011 revolution to overthrow dictator Hosni Mubarak ultimately during the so-called 'Arab Spring' didn't achieve the wishes of many of its participants. This great Egyptian documentary directed by Jehane Noujaim (also directed the documentary "Control Room"), shows the Egyptian people from all backgrounds coming together to achieve a more representative government. The movie shows just how powerful conflicts between those in the revolution are, when it comes to actually achieving success. In this case, it would be how the Muslim Brotherhood turned their backs on the rest of the revolutionaries - who were mostly young, secular, and liberal (most of these protesters were from Muslim heritage as well).
(Egypt)
4. A Separation (2011)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini
Votes: 258,672 | Gross: $7.10M
My rating - 8.5/10
Most film critics would say that Abbas Kiarostami is Iran's greatest director, but consider that title to be true to the relatively-young Asghar Farhadi. He is certainly one of the best directors around today and a rare gem. This is his best film and Iran's greatest film because of the film's tension, its realness, and its amazing screenplay. The authenticity of each character, and their respective raw emotions, drives this movie higher-and-higher, reaching its peek at the ending. The movie's beauty comes from its ability to interject between subjecting faith, tradition, and family through a critical lense in the modern post-revolution Iranian life. I hold this film in such high regard, that I would rank it as the second-best film of the current century (the 2000s), trailing only to Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film "There Will Be Blood."
(Iran)
5. Taste of Cherry (1997)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama
An Iranian man drives his car in search of someone who will quietly bury him under a cherry tree after he commits suicide.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami | Stars: Homayoun Ershadi, Abdolhosein Bagheri, Afshin Khorshid Bakhtiari, Safar Ali Moradi
Votes: 36,814 | Gross: $0.31M
My rating - 8.5/10
(Iran)
6. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, War
In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo | Stars: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash
Votes: 65,703 | Gross: $0.06M
My rating - 8.5/10
(Algeria)
7. The House Is Black (1963)
20 min | Documentary, Short
Set in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness", of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with religion and gratitude.
Director: Forugh Farrokhzad | Stars: Forugh Farrokhzad, Ebrahim Golestan, Hossein Mansouri
Votes: 5,568
My rating - 8.5/10
(Iran)
8. 5 Broken Cameras (2011)
Not Rated | 94 min | Documentary, War
A documentary on a Palestinian farmer's chronicle of his nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi | Stars: Emad Burnat, Soraya Burnat, Mohammed Burnat, Yasin Burnat
Votes: 6,649 | Gross: $0.11M
My rating - 8.5/10
(Palestine)
9. Winter Sleep (2014)
Not Rated | 196 min | Drama
A hotel owner and landlord in a remote Turkish village deals with conflicts within his family and a tenant behind on his rent.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Stars: Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen, Demet Akbag, Ayberk Pekcan
Votes: 55,601 | Gross: $0.17M
My rating - 8/10
(Turkey)
10. Cairo Station (1958)
Not Rated | 77 min | Crime, Drama
A newspaper salesman at the train station in Cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments.
Director: Youssef Chahine | Stars: Farid Shawqi, Hind Rustum, Youssef Chahine, Hassan el Baroudi
Votes: 5,357
My rating - 8/10
(Egypt)
11. The Gatekeepers (2012)
PG-13 | 101 min | Documentary, History, War
A documentary featuring interviews with all surviving former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency whose activities and membership are closely held state secrets.
Director: Dror Moreh | Stars: Ami Ayalon, Avraham Shalom, Avi Dichter, Yaakov Peri
Votes: 5,891 | Gross: $2.42M
My rating - 8/10
In Israeli filmmaker Dror Moreh's Academy-Award nominated and highly acclaimed documentary, six former heads of Israel's internal security service, the Shin Bet, describe how the State of Israel has conducted in violent attacks and stirred up many problems against Palestinians since 1967, mainly due to right-wing hysteria. This is the best movie, documentary or not, that discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as being one of the best documentaries from the 21st-century.
(Zionist entity)
12. A Moment of Innocence (1996)
Not Rated | 78 min | Comedy, Drama
A semi-autobiographical account of Makmahlbaf's experience as a teenager when, as a 17-year-old, he stabbed a policeman at a protest rally. Two decades later, he tracks down the policeman he injured in an attempt to make amends.
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf | Stars: Mirhadi Tayebi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Ali Bakhsi, Ammar Tafti Dehghan
Votes: 4,406 | Gross: $0.04M
My rating - 7.5/10
(Iran)
13. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)
Not Rated | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Stars: Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan, Taner Birsel, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan
Votes: 50,330 | Gross: $0.14M
My rating - 7.5/10
(Turkey)
14. Where Is the Friend's House? (1987)
Not Rated | 83 min | Drama, Family
Eight-year-old Ahmed has mistakenly taken his friend Mohammad's notebook. He wants to return it, or else his friend will be expelled from school. The boy determinedly sets out to find Mohammad's home in the neighbouring village.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami | Stars: Babek Ahmed Poor, Ahmed Ahmed Poor, Khodabakhsh Defaei, Iran Outari
Votes: 18,735
My rating - 7.5/10
(Iran)
15. About Elly (2009)
TV-PG | 119 min | Drama, Mystery
The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Taraneh Alidoosti, Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Merila Zare'i
Votes: 57,201 | Gross: $0.11M
My rating - 7.5/10
This was the first film from the Middle East that I ever watched, and is one of the best movies from the extremely underrated and overlooked cinema of Iran. What makes this movie so great was the characterization by its elite and supremely-talented director, Asghar Farhadi, resulting in a very tense and rewarding experience. Its wonderful direction and well-acted characters has this movie standing out from the rest of the pack of movies these days.
(Iran)
16. A Hero (I) (2021)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama
Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don't go as planned.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldoost, Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy
Votes: 29,555
My rating - 7.5/10
(Iran)
17. And Life Goes On (1992)
Not Rated | 95 min | Adventure, Drama
A director and his son return to a region damaged by the Guilan earthquake, hoping to find the children who appeared in his film a few years earlier.
Director: Abbas Kiarostami | Stars: Farhad Kheradmand, Pouya Payvar, Behrouz Abedini, Shahin Abzan
Votes: 7,481
My rating - 7/10
(Iran)
18. Timbuktu (2014)
PG-13 | 96 min | Drama, War
A cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu find their quiet lives -- which are typically free of the Jihadists determined to control their faith -- abruptly disturbed.
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako | Stars: Ibrahim Ahmed, Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Layla Walet Mohamed
Votes: 18,289 | Gross: $1.08M
My rating - 7/10
(Mauritania)
19. Capernaum (2018)
R | 126 min | Drama
While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.
Director: Nadine Labaki | Stars: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawsar Al Haddad
Votes: 105,528 | Gross: $1.66M
My rating - 7/10
Internationally-lauded Lebanese director Nadine Labaki's third feature film tragically follows the troubled life of a young boy, Zain (acted on-screen by Zain Al Rafeea -- a Syrian refugee), in harrowing poverty. His careless and erratic parents, unprepared with having to take care of so many children while simultaneously worrying about just getting by, make the preparations with the utmost urgency to have their 11 year-old daughter (and Zain's closest family member/friend), Sahar, sent off to marry a fully-grown man once they notice that she's begun menstruating -- becoming a 'real woman'. After having decided to move on his life away from his unforgiving family, Zain befriends an Ethiopian migrant named Rahil, who works at an amusement park. While on the one hand the movie obviously centers on the hardships of young Zain, it also concurrently recognizes the uphill and exploitative battle that migrant workers in a xenophobic atmosphere are throw into. Although some critics have dismissed the film as being too melodramatic and lacking a coherent, confident message, and though I somewhat agree with the former, I would argue otherwise that Labaki sympathetically understands and doesn't diminish the deeply-inflicted pain of both these impoverished children and the migrant workers; one of only a handful of quality social commentary movies of this era.
(Lebanon)
20. The Salesman (2016)
PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, Thriller
While Ranaa and Emad, a married couple, are participating in a production of "Death of a Salesman," she is assaulted in their new home, which leaves him determined to find the perpetrator over his wife's traumatized objections.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Mina Sadati, Babak Karimi
Votes: 64,751 | Gross: $2.40M
My rating - 7/10
(Iran)
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