Tickets Now on Sale!
For the first time ever, co-presented with BPFF, MFA Film presents a survey of the very best contemporary films being produced in the Arab region of North Africa and the Middle East. For an introduction to Arab cinema or for experienced fans, this special film weekend is not to be missed.
Theeb
Naji Abu Nowar
Jordan/UAE/Qatar/UK
2015 | Narrative | 100 min
June 2, 7:00 pm & June 5, 12:00 pm
Nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, this Arab Western follows a young boy, Theeb, as he makes a perilous trek across the Ottoman Empire desert in 1916. As war rages in the Middle East, Theeb’s mission to guide a British officer to his secret destination is threatened by bandits, enemy soldiers, and the natural hazards of the desert climate.
A Syrian Love Story
Sean McAllister
UK/France/Lebanon/Syria
2015 | Documentary | 80 min
June 3, 6:00 pm & June 4, 4:00 pm
Amer and Raghda met in a Syrian prison cell 15 years ago. He first saw her bloodied face after a beating when she was placed in a neighboring cell. Over several months they communicated – and fell in love – through a tiny hole they’d secretly made in the wall. When released, they got married and started a family. This intimate portrait tells the story of a family torn apart by the Assad regime and the chaos of war, helping us to understand why people are literally dying for change in the Arab world.
As I Open My Eyes
Leyla Bouzid
Tunisia/France/Belgium/UAE
2016 | Narrative | 102 min
June 3, 8:00 pm & June 4, 10:00 am
Tunis in the summer of 2010, a few months before the Arab Spring: 18-year-old Farah passes her Baccalaureat exam, and her family insists that she pursue a career as a doctor. But Farah, who sings in an activist rock band, is awakening to the thrills of her city at night. Her controversial music draws the attention of police, setting her on a path that her family never intended.
In the Last Days of the City (Akher Ayam el Medina)
Tamer El Said
Egypt/Germany
2016 | Narrative | 118 min
June 4, 1:00 pm & June 5, 2:30 pm
Downtown Cairo, 2009: A 35-year-old filmmaker named Khalid is struggling to make a film that captures the soul of his city while facing loss in his own life. With the help of his friends, who send him footage from their lives in Beirut, Baghdad and Berlin, he sets out to create a requiem for a city in pain.
Tickets now on sale on the MFA web site.