Underplayed Gems

Theeb (2014)

Theeb poster
Original title
ذيب
Directed by
Naji Abu Nowar
Genre
drama film, adventure film
Country
United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, United Kingdom
Runtime
1h 40m
Rated
12
Rating
6.7 of 10 from 190 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A Bedouin boy named Theeb must survive in the desert during World War I. He is forced to grow up quickly when danger arrives. The film follows his struggle to stay alive in a harsh landscape.

slow-burntensebleakvisually starkquietly intenseharrowinggritty

What happens

Theeb (Arabic: ذيب, romanized: dhīb, lit. 'wolf' [ðiːb]) is a 2014 co-produced by Bassel Ghandour period drama thriller film co-written with Bassel Ghandour and directed by Naji Abu Nowar. It is a coming-of-age story about a Bedouin boy, Theeb, who must survive in the wide-open Wadi Rum desert. The film takes place during the Middle Eastern theatre of the First World War, in the wake of the Great Arab Revolt against the ruling Ottoman Empire. The film used non-professional actors from the Bedouin community in southern Jordan, and is considered a "Bedouin Western". It has also been described as a coming-of-age film. Theeb is an international co-production from Jordan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. The film premiered in the Horizons section at the 71st Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2014, where Abu Nowar won the award for Best Director. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, making it the first Jordanian nomination ever. At the 69th British Academy Film Awards, Theeb was nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language, where Naji Abu Nowar and Rupert Lloyd won the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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