Film Series
Contemporary Arab Cinema
The beauty, complexity, and diversity of Arab culture shines in these vital new works from some of the Middle East and North Africa’s boldest filmmakers. This series returns for its fourth year at BAM, featuring stories of unlikely female friendship in Morocco, forbidden romance in Saudi Arabia, a defiant fashion show in Algeria, and more. Curated by Lina Matta.
Estranged sisters return home to search for their missing father and confront hard truths.
A boy and his mom are taken in by a wealthy family, but their benevolence masks a secret.
A box containing family secrets and memories of wartime Beirut drives this poignant film.
A young woman defies Islamic terrorists in 1990s Algeria to put on a fashion show.
An Arabic dating show sparks public fury, turning the life of its host upside down.
A Palestinian teenager who idolizes her incarcerated father faces a crisis of identity.
A single mom reluctantly takes in an unmarried pregnant woman in this tender drama.
A young mother is forced to choose between her family and her people in this thriller.
When a Syrian refugee agrees to become an artist’s canvas, he sells more than just his skin.
A gravedigger in Djibouti City is determined to save his wife in this poetic love story.
A story of forbidden romance paints a nuanced portrait of community in Saudi Arabia.
A rich Lebanese family flees the city and rediscovers their roots in this Covid-era comedy.