MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Media & Entertainment, World — August 23, 2018   

Here’s What To Stream Next… Lebanese Cinema

Original article by Sara Aridi published in the New York Times on 04/12/2018

Photo Credit: 'The Kite' - Ognon Pictures, Everett Collection
Photo Credit: ‘The Kite’ – Ognon Pictures, Everett Collection

Disappointed in the way that the Middle East is often portrayed in Hollywood films and television shows? Enter Lebanese cinema. The New York Times declares that “there are plenty of films made by Lebanese filmmakers that counter reductive visions.”

Here is a listicle of #MustSee Lebanese films to stream NOW:

– The Kite: Directed by Randa Chahal Sabag, the film is about a fifteen-year-old Lebanese girl, from a Druze community, who is forced to marry her cousin across the Israeli border, but finds herself in love with an Israeli soldier. According to NYT, “the complexities of Israeli-Arab affairs give “The Kite” a specific political context, but its basic premise of teenage rebellion is universal.”

– Caramel: In 2007, “Caramel” topped the box office charts in Lebanon and became the first Lebanese film to open theatrically in the United States. Debut feature from Nadine Labaki who also stars as one of five women who work at a beauty salon in Beirut. According to NYT, “Each woman’s woes touch on issues that aren’t often talked about in the more traditional parts of the Arab world — like infidelity, homosexuality and mental health.”

– Ghadi: Leba is a music instructor from a small Christian village where “gossip thrives and privacy is a foreign concept” in this 2013 dramedy. Leba’s young son, Ghadi, has Down syndrome, and the film takes on the subject matter of disabilities and mental health which were once considered taboo in the region. According to NYT, “This lighthearted feature gently denounces bigotry with humor and its spot-on portrayal of Lebanese village life.”

– What About Tomorrow?: Directed by composer and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who also stars, the film is based on his 1978 play and is “an important cultural reference point in Lebanon.” The film follows Zakaria and his wife Thuraya, who run a trendy bar in Beirut, and have to go through extraordinary measures to try to stay financially afloat. Released in Lebanon in 2016, the film was a tremendous box office success.

– Very Big Shot: Action thriller about three brothers who are trying to close up shop on their drug-dealing operation and go straight — trying being the operative word. According to the NYT, “Some moments are stronger than others, but this bold comedy is a refreshing change from the depictions of love and war you’ll typically find in Lebanese cinema.”

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Riz Ahmed Is Oscars’ First...

Riz Ahmed has become the first Muslim nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards for Sound of Metal, not long after Mahershala Ali made his own history with two Best Supporting … [Read More...]

More Women Study Physics in...

A recent report from Physics magazine finds that physics departments in many western universities have a "significant gender disparity, with far fewer women than men taking up the subject." However, … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2023 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.