Iraq 2009. Ten-year-old Hamoudi has only one leg, but is totally obsessed with football. He and his friends - like the rest of the world - are looking forward to the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester (Messi versus Ronaldo). But then Hamoudi’s television breaks down! Kurdish-Belgian director Sahim Omar Kalifa’s award-winning short is ruthlessly heart-braking, with a (…) Continue Reading »

Soviet Hippies, directed by Terje Toomistu, ‘Lenin vs. Lennon’ – UK Premiere via Dash Arts Continue Reading »

“The Ponds” meets the Londoners whose lives have been changed by outdoor swimming Visit Hampstead Heath in North London at the summer’s peak and you’ll see hundreds of sun-seeking locals swimming in the park’s ponds. Although that (…) Continue Reading »

Nightcleaners – An oddity of its time that captures the British working class struggle of the early 1970s « Nightcleaners » is an early 70s observational account of London’s female office cleaners embroiled in an arduous struggle for fair pay (…) Continue Reading »

The Mayfair Hotel, where I’m about to meet Lynn + Lucy writer and director Fyza Boulifa and newcomer Roxanne Scrimshaw (Lynn), seems very far away from the film’s environment. Set in Harlow, the subtly dark and beautifully acted narrative follows (…) Continue Reading »

Strange Cities Are Familiar, Dir. Saeed Taji Farouky At once lyrical and political, this film centres on a beautifully understated performance by Mohammad Bakri as Ashraf, a refugee living in London who is unable to return to Palestine to be with his dying son. Ashraf is both stern and tender as the London landscape around him transforms into scenes from his past life and the imagined (…) Continue Reading »

Walled Citizen is a documentary by Palestinian filmmaker Sameer M Qumsiyeh in which he attempts to backpack around the world with a Palestinian passport, basically making him persona non grata at customs everywhere. Sameer goes beyond his own personal experience to explore the wider world and concept of travelling and speaks to seasoned backpackers and fellow Palestinians reflecting on the (…) Continue Reading »

Filmmaker Claire Belhassime unbelievably randomly finds out that her grandfather is none other than legendary Tunisian singer Hedi Jouini. As she decides to retrace his life, she uncovers both Hedi’s role in political and social movements and Tunisia’s art scene and secrets and drama at the very heart of her family, shedding light on why his real identity was kept hidden. Even if you’ve never (…) Continue Reading »

We’ve been watching recently - and not quite yet - released documentaries by Arab filmmakers. We’ll be posting our picks and where to find them in the next few days and weeks, starting with the below. Counting Tiles, dir. Cynthia Choucair (…) Continue Reading »

A cook serves exotic dishes to his hungry, impatient guests. Suddenly the arrival of a mysterious Asian woman re-ignites their insatiable appetite. Mila Zuo’s atmospheric short is incredibly rich in symbolism and references, conscious or not - from Lynch to Fruit Chan’s dumplings. This short is brought to us by the fab horror film platform @WatchALTER. There’s a whole treasure trove on (…) Continue Reading »