The Arabian Sights Film Festival will be presented in conjunction with the 40th annual Washington, DC International Film Festival, the umbrella organization of Arabian Sights.
MARWAN HAMED - Egypt - 2025 - 162 mins
El Sett is a sweeping, emotionally charged portrait of Umm Kulthum, the iconic "Star of the Orient," whose voice defined a nation and resonated across the world. Directed by Marwan Hamed and anchored by a luminous performance from Mona Zaki, the film traces her extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to unparalleled stardom. Moving fluidly through time, it captures both the strength and vulnerability of a woman whose artistry mirrored Egypt's turbulent journey—from monarchy to revolution and beyond. With more than 300 songs spanning six decades, Umm Kulthum's music continues to echo through generations. Her influence stretches far beyond the Arab world, inspiring legends like Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Shakira, Beyoncé, and Maria Callas, who once called her "the incomparable voice." More than a biography, El Sett is an intimate exploration of legacy, identity, and the power of authenticity—an invitation to experience the voice that united millions.—Various sources
In Arabic with English subtitles
SARAH GOHER - Egypt - 2025 - 92 mins - View trailer
Sarah Goher's acclaimed debut feature is a tour (de force) of modern-day Cairo, from its upper-class enclaves, to its streets teeming with motor scooters and life, to the beautifully observed world of 8-year-old Toha and her loving family of fisherwomen. As Toha dons a scarf for a day's work as an upper-class family's maid, she asks her "friend" Nelly, "What is a wish?" Having never had a birthday party, Toha wouldn't know. Nelly is not really her friend, but Toha doesn't know that either, so she determines that Nelly will have the perfect birthday and latches on to her otherwise indifferent employer, Nelly's mother, Leila (Nelly Karim), to make it so. In portraying Toha, captivating child actor Doha Ramadan expresses both the naiveté of an unschooled girl who thinks wishing is willing, and the clever machinations of a native intelligence, in case it is not.—Judy Bloch
In Arabic with English subtitles
MOHAMED JABARAH AL-DARADJI - Iraq, UAE, Qatar, France, UK, Saudi Arabia - 2025 - 109 mins - View trailer
Beneath Baghdad's bridges and bustling streets, 9-year-old orphan and dreamer Chum-Chum and 13-year-old rebel Moody navigate the city's unforgiving reality with youthful determination. Inspired by the legend of Gilgamesh, Chum-Chum (Youssef Husham Al-Thahabi) clings to the belief that he will be reunited with his beloved parents in the blue-black waters of the Tigris. Moody (Hussein Raad Zuwayr) survives through cunning; he plots and steals in an attempt to obtain safe passage to the Netherlands for Chum-Chum and his sister Sarah (Lojin Star Naimal). As Chum-Chum's mythic vision deepens, it collides with danger: Moody's tasks for a violent militia leader and a world shaped by adults consumed by militant grief. In Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji's soulful approach, ancient Iraq, the birthplace of the world's oldest known written work of literature, echoes through the present and shapes an epic and deeply moving story of loss and resilience.—Judy Bloch
In Arabic with English subtitles
ARAB NASSER, TARZAN NASSER - Palestine, France, Portugal, Germany - 2025 - 90 mins
In 2007 Gaza, Yahya works at his friend's falafel shop—a storefront that secretly doubles as a hub for drug dealing. Drawn into the operation, he witnesses a brutal crime that will haunt him for years. Years later, Yahya is selected to star in a TV series celebrating martyrs and heroes of the resistance. As tensions simmer and conflict looms, the line between performance and reality begins to blur—especially when Yahya is unexpectedly handed real weapons. Suddenly, he is faced with a dangerous opportunity to confront the man responsible for the violence that altered the course of his life. Winners of the Best Director award in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes, twin Palestinian filmmakers Tarzan and Arab Nasser craft a bold fusion of dark comedy and political satire, delivering a searing critique of the cycles of violence that shape personal and political life in Gaza.—Various sources
In Arabic with English subtitles
CYRIL ARIS - Lebanon - 2026 - 110 mins
Lebanon's official submission for the 98th Academy Awards® for Best International Feature Film, A Sad and Beautiful World spans three decades of passion, loss, and hope. It centers on the magnetic bond between Nino and Yasmina, born on the same day amid a tragic massacre in Beirut, their lives bound by fate from childhood. United by hardship—Nino's loss of his parents and Yasmina's fractured family—they form a deep connection. Yasmina dreams of escape, imagining a magical train journey to a distant island, a plan Nino eagerly embraces, but their dream is cut short when she moves away. Reunited 24 years later, Yasmina is disillusioned but is drawn to Nino's unwavering optimism. As love rekindles, she abandons emigration plans, choosing the fragile, powerful bond they share. A tender meditation on longing, love, and destiny, the film is elevated by performances that reveal the quiet beauty of life.—Various sources
In Arabic with English subtitles
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University with the support of the US Department of Education's Title VI Program
P.O. Box 21396 Washington, DC 20009
202-234-FILM
Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
filmfestdc2024@gmail.com