Remember when Nadine Labaki showed up to the Venice Film Festival in 2011 and Capernaum had everyone sobbing into their Aperol spritz? Or when Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin proved that Arab cinema can hold its own on any world stage? The 82nd Venice Film Festival, running from August 27 to September 6, feels like one of those moments again. Arab cinema hasn’t buzzed with this much energy since the golden age of Youssef Chahine and Faten Hamama, and this year’s lineup promises everything from daring debuts to stories that hit right at the heart. Here are the Arab films we can’t wait to watch on the Lido.
‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania returns to Venice with a film that’s as urgent as it is heartbreaking. After making waves globally with Four Daughters, the Oscar-nominated director now turns her lens on the final moments of Hind Rajab—a six-year-old girl whose desperate call for help during the 2024 bombardment of Gaza made headlines around the world. Rather than depicting the violence directly, Ben Hania builds a restrained, single-location narrative using the real audio recording of Hind’s voice and testimonies from her mother and those on the other end of the line. The film blends fiction and documentary elements to devastating effect, offering a quiet but searing reflection on the toll of war, especially on children.
‘Hijra’
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Saudi director Shahad Ameen is carving out a space all her own, and Hijra proves it. Making its world debut in Venice, the story follows an older woman and her granddaughter as they cross the Saudi desert in search of another missing family member. But this isn’t a simple road trip—it’s a layered, intimate film about loss, legacy, and what gets passed down between generations of women. Set against a vast, unforgiving landscape, Ameen’s eye is as focused on emotional terrain as it is on physical geography. The film is competing in the Venice Spotlight section.
‘Calle Malaga’
Another Venice Spotlight contender, and very likely a festival favorite. Following up on the acclaim of The Blue Caftan, Maryam Touzani returns with Calle Málaga, a deeply personal story set in Tangier. It follows an elderly woman who’s being forced to say goodbye to the only home she’s ever known, as her daughter plans to sell it. What unfolds is a quiet, reflective drama about aging, memory, and the push and pull between tradition and change. As always, Touzani doesn’t rely on spectacle. Her strength lies in the small, lived-in moments that slowly unravel into something unforgettable.
‘Coyotes’
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Marking a historic first for Palestinian cinema, Coyotes becomes the first-ever Palestinian short to compete in Venice’s Orizzonti Shorts section. Directed by Said Zagha, this nocturnal thriller unfolds over a single, fateful drive: a Palestinian surgeon, exhausted after a night shift, sets out on what should be a routine commute—but a desolate West Bank road has other plans. The 20-minute-long short film, which is debuting in Venice, stars Maria Zreik and Ali Suliman and is produced by Myriam Sassine.
