Arab films in the Oscar race

Arab films in the Oscar race

Six Arab countries have submitted films for best international feature at the 99th Academy Awards, set for March 2027.

  1. ‘The Stories’
    ‘The Stories’
    Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky’s drama traces a romance between an Egyptian pianist and an Austrian woman from the late 1960s to the 1980s, starring Nelly Karim and Amir El-Masry.
  2. ‘Strawberries’
    ‘Strawberries’
    Moroccan filmmaker Laila Marrakchi’s drama, which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, follows two Moroccan women picking strawberries in Spain’s Andalusia region.
  3. ‘Citizen Osama’
    ‘Citizen Osama’
    Palestinian director Ahmed Hassouna’s documentary follows photographer Osama Al-Ashi as he records life in northern Gaza while protecting his family.
  4. ‘Sink’
    ‘Sink’
    Jordanian director Zain Duraie’s debut feature follows a mother struggling to cope with her teenage son’s worsening mental health crisis.
  5. ‘No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman’
    ‘No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman’
    Kurdish-Norwegian director Halkawt Mustafa’s drama follows a Kurdish sniper searching for her younger sister, missing since the 2014 Daesh assault on Mosul.
  6. ‘Roqia’
    ‘Roqia’
    Algerian director Yanis Koussim’s horror film follows a man who returns to his village with amnesia after a car crash in 1993, haunted by nightly disturbances.