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The MENA films to watch out for in the 2025 Oscars race


More than half of the officially recognised MENA countries have already selected their national film entries for consideration in the upcoming 97th Academy Awards nominations for Best International Feature.

The finalists will be announced on 17 January, and the ceremony will take place on 3 March 2025.

Additionally, Germany has submitted the widely discussed The Seed of the Sacred Fig by Mohammad Rasoulof, a film set entirely in Iran, which led to the director’s prison sentence and subsequent exile.

Meanwhile, Jordan has chosen to compete with a heartfelt story offering a close look at the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — a narrative unrelated to the Jordanian context but supported by the Jordan Film Fund.

A notable trend among the other contenders is their preference for classic genre narrative structures, a characteristic that may increase their chances of recognition in the context of the North American film industry, which is heavily influenced by the Hollywood genre-based model.

Ahead of the 2025 Oscars, The New Arab takes a look at the entries for the nominations for Best International Feature:

Algiers (2024)

Director: Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algeria

When a young girl’s abduction sparks a wave of tension and suspicion throughout the city, Dounia, a sharp-witted psychiatrist, teams up with Sami, a committed police inspector, to unravel Algeria’s haunting past and solve a baffling mystery.

Taleb-Bendiab’s debut feature made its world premiere at the Flickers’ Rhode Island Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prize for Best Feature.

Produced as a co-production between Algeria and Canada, the film features the established Algerian actor Nabil Asli, whose star rose in Merzak Allouache’s The Repentant, which was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Algiers is an investigative thriller that tackles the serious issue of child kidnapping in Algeria, a nation still healing from its civil war

Flight 404 (2024)

Director: Hani Khalifa – Egypt

With only a few days remaining before her pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj, Ghada faces an urgent financial crisis, forcing her to seek help from individuals she had distanced herself from long ago.

As she reconnects with this tainted part of her past, the question arises: will she manage to overcome the challenge in time for Hajj, or will this return to old ties drag her back into a troubled life she had left behind?

Starring popular Egyptian actress Mona Zaki, Flight 404 is a local box-office hit and, in February 2024, got a limited release in the U.S. and Canada through distributor Ceema Films, a company that focuses on bringing Arabic films to international theatres.

Later on, the film was distributed in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and the Netherlands as well.

Flight 404 follows Ghada, who faces a financial crisis right before her Hajj pilgrimage. She must confront her past and reconnect with people she wanted to leave behind, leading to a tense and emotional journey

In the Arms of the Tree (2023)

Director: Babak Lotfi Khajepasha – Iran

Prior to being chosen for the Oscars race, the film had already been showcased at both the Shanghai International TV Festival and the Fajr Film Festival.

The story delves into the complicated life struggles of Kimia and Farid, a couple married for twelve years, whose actions shatter the peaceful and innocent world of their children — children who have only ever known simplicity and kindness.

The film ultimately highlights the significance of love, connection, and the delicate effort required to keep a family together during times of crisis.

“For me, family is one of the most important foundations of human society, and I believe we should do whatever we can to preserve it. From the very beginning, I wanted to create something meaningful,” said director Babak Lotfi Khajepasha in an interview for Tehran Times.

The official synopsis of In the Arms of the Tree states: The film follows the complex life crisis of Kimia and Farid, a couple married for twelve years, which destroys the simple and kind world of their children

Baghdad Messi (2023)

Director: Sahim Omar Kalifa – Iraq

This is the extended version of the director’s short film of the same title, which made it to the shortlist in 2014 in the Live-Action Short category of the 87th Academy Awards.

Based on the screenplay and short story by Kobe Van Steenberghe, the film features Hamoudi, an 11-year-old boy with a passion for soccer, who dreams of becoming as great as his idol, Lionel Messi.

However, his life takes a tragic turn when he becomes the victim of a failed suicide bombing in Iraq, resulting in the loss of his leg.

Despite his parents’ efforts to shield the family from further harm, Hamoudi remains determined to fight for his dream, refusing to let the tragedy define his future.

Belgium-based Kurdish director Sahim Omar Kalifa shot the film in 2021 within the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, the same place where the short film was recorded.

Set in 2009 Baghdad, Baghdad Messi follows Hamoudi, a 10-year-old boy who loves football and dreams of becoming a professional like Lionel Messi. His life changes when he is caught in an armed clash and loses his leg

My Sweet Land (2024)

Director: Sareen Hairabedian – Jordan

Primarily produced by the US-based production company HAI Creative, Sareen Hairabedian’s debut feature-length documentary received financial support from the Jordan Film Fund, thus the country’s committee decided to send it as its official representative.

It tackles the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the territory of Artsakh in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been at the heart of a violent dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia since the 1980s.

The plot features eleven-year-old Vrej, who dreams of becoming a dentist in his Artsakh village, but when conflict resurges, his family is forced to flee.

They return to a homeland in ruins after their people lose the war. Confronted with the harsh new realities, Vrej grapples with the burden of his dreams and the trauma of war while preparing for future challenges.

The film premiered at Sheffield DocFest and went on to screen at several festivals, including the Amman International Film Festival, where it won both the Jury Award for Best Feature Documentary and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Arab Feature Documentary.

My Sweet Land tells the story of a young boy living in a region affected by the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, who dreams of a normal life

Everybody Loves Touda (2024)

Director: Nabil Ayouch – Morocco

Established director Nabil Ayouch is representing Morocco in the Oscars race for the sixth time with a drama that explores the country’s Sheikhat tradition — a form of sung poetry performed by women, originating from 19th-century rural communities.

The script is co-written by Maryam Touzani, whose directorial hit Adam (2019) featured actress Nisrin Erradi in a powerful performance, and she also plays the main role in Everybody Loves Touda.

Here, Erradi performs Touda, a young woman aspiring to restore the lost glory of Sheikhat. Instead, she finds herself singing in provincial bars, objectified by lustful men.

Determined to change her fate, Touda plans to leave her small village for the bustling city of Casablanca, where she hopes to be recognised as a true artist and secure a better future for herself and her son.

The movie follows Touda, a woman who dreams of becoming a Cheikha, a traditional Moroccan singer known for her bold songs about resistance, love, and freedom. Performing nightly in bars in her small town, she hopes for a better future for herself and her son

From Ground Zero (2024)

Director: Rashid Masharawi – Palestine

Amid the daily images of death and destruction from Gaza as Israel continues its aggressive attacks, this year’s Palestinian film entry offers a different perspective on life in the region.

From Ground Zero is a compelling initiative that showcases 22 short films by talented filmmakers from Gaza.

Spearheaded by acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi, the project emerged amidst ongoing conflict and aims to give young artists a platform to express their perspectives.

Each short, spanning 3 to 6 minutes, offers a unique view of life in Gaza, portraying the challenges, tragedies, and resilience experienced by its people.

Featuring a variety of genres — fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation, and experimental cinema — the collection presents a rich array of stories that reflect the sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gazan life.

Despite the difficult filming conditions, the vibrant artistic community in Gaza shines through, delivering an intimate and powerful portrayal of daily life and the enduring spirit of its people.

Palestine has been submitting films to the Oscars since 2003 and has earned two nominations with Paradise Now and Omar, both directed by Hany Abu-Assad.

From Ground Zero is a collection of 22 short films made by filmmakers from Gaza. The films depict the reality of life in the enclave

Take My Breath (2023)

Director: Nada Mezni Hfaiedh – Tunisia

Nada Mezni Hfaiedh’s groundbreaking drama stars Amina Ben Ismail as Shams, a 23-year-old seamstress whose peaceful life is upended when her intersex identity and involvement in a steamy love triangle are exposed. As Shams becomes the target of a dangerous stalker, she is forced to flee to the capital, Tunis, for safety.

Take My Breath had its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival last year and has been a box office hit at home, while the character of Shams is performed by Amina, who recently appeared alongside Gael García Bernal and Renate Reinsve in Pierro Mesina’s Berlin Film Festival entry Another End.

Take My Breath tells the story of Shams, a young seamstress whose quiet life is turned upside down when her intersex identity is revealed. Caught in a love triangle and chased by an obsessed attacker, Shams escapes to the capital city

Hayat (2023)

Director: Zeki Demirkubuz – Turkey

Perhaps the most artistic, layered, and unconventional work on the current list is Zeki Demirkubuz’s Hayat, a 193-minute drama with existentialist themes set in modern-day Turkey.

After his fiancée Hicran abruptly leaves town, breaking off their arranged engagement without explanation, Riza becomes increasingly depressed and embarks on a journey to Istanbul to find her — a woman he barely knows but whose image haunts him.

Through Hicran’s interactions with the men in her life, the film offers a sharp portrayal of the wounded male psyche, ranging from vengeful and entitled to petulant and self-destructive.

Despite the men’s insecurities and tortured projections, Hicran remains dignified and inscrutable, surrendering herself to whatever fate holds for her.

Hayat is a drama set in present-day Turkey. It follows Riza, whose fiancée Hicran suddenly leaves town and breaks off their arranged engagement without explanation. Heartbroken, Riza decides to travel to Istanbul to look for her — a woman he barely knows but can’t stop thinking about

Mariana Hristova is a freelance film critic, cultural journalist, and programmer. She contributes to national and international outlets and has curated programs for Filmoteca De Catalunya, Arxiu Xcèntric, goEast Wiesbaden, etc. Her professional interests include cinema from the European peripheries and archival and amateur films





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