2023 was a big year for Arabic cinema as visionary directors and filmmakers have broken new ground, bringing forth narratives that resonate with audiences globally. In fact, as you are reading this, there are two Arab films currently vying for an Oscar at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards. Seemingly undeterred by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which brought productions across the globe to a grinding halt as negotiations for a fair deal continued with producers and studio heads, new titles from filmmakers of Tunisian, Moroccan, Saudi, Algerian, and Sudanese heritage made their mark at international film festivals across the globe, scooping up prestigious awards, and captivating audiences with tales of love and loss to gripping sagas of societal taboos. Below, we present the best Arabic films of 2023, from mythic coming-of-age adventures to comedic crime thrillers.
‘Four Daughters’
In Four Daughters, Kaouther Ben Hania paints a gripping picture of a mother’s anguish as her daughters become entangled with extremism. Based on a real-life story, the film features Tunisian actress Hind Sabri as Olfa Hamrouni, a Tunisian housekeeper in her forties from a poor background, who has seen her two teenage daughters become radicalized, run away, join Daesh in Libya and end up imprisoned there following an American attack. In addition to scooping up the top documentary prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film has been shortlisted for two Oscars.
‘Mother Of All Lies’
In this award-winning film, Asmae El Moudir delves into her family’s history and the tumultuous events surrounding the 1981 Bread Riots in Casablanca with no archive footage or photographs to rely on. The film won the L’Oeil d’or award for best documentary prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Oscar in the International Features category at the upcoming Academy Awards.
‘Goodbye Julia’
Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature, Goodbye Julia, which received the Cannes Film Festival‘s Un Certain Regard Freedom Prize, follows the story of Mona, a retired singer in northern Sudan, trapped in a tense marriage and plagued by guilt after covering up a murder. To make amends, she invites the deceased’s widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home. As Mona struggles to admit her transgressions to Julia, the country’s turmoil threatens to intrude into her home and bring her face-to-face with her sins.
‘Inshallah A Boy’
Jordanian filmmaker Amjad Al-Rasheed’s film centers on Nawal, who after her husband’s sudden death, faces the dual threat of losing her home to her brother-in-law and failing to provide stability for her daughter. In a desperate move, she fabricates a pregnancy, but as the lie unravels, Nawal must make a tough choice. The first-ever Jordanian feature to be selected at Cannes, the film was screened in 20 film festivals around the world, scooping up 11 awards.
‘Hajjan’
Director Abu Bakr Shawky brings us a rebellious and legendary coming-of-age journey, immersed in the high-stakes universe of Bedouin camel racing.
‘Omar La Fraise’
Directed by Algerian filmmaker Elias Belkeddar, Omar La Fraise revolves around an old-fashioned bandit, accompanied by his illustrious sidekick Roger, who tries to lie low for the rest of his life in Algiers to escape his sentence of 20-years in prison by the French authorities.
‘Bye Bye Tiberias’
Hiam Abbass (known for Succession) reverts to her roots after leaving Palestine to pursue her acting career. Accompanied by her daughter, filmmaker Lina Soualem, this poignant documentary delves into the lives of four generations of women, examining their collective heritage of separation and the intimate connections that bind them.
‘NAGA’
A young woman finds herself stranded in the desert, racing against the clock to reach home before curfew, knowing that her terrifyingly strict father could impose severe consequences if she fails, in this thriller directed by Meshal Aljaser.
