Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed its shortlist two days ago, all eyes are on the United States, particularly on the Oscars, the most significant film event in the world. With four films by Arab directors nominated, the shortlist notably has a significant Arab presence.
The 98th Academy Awards event, which is set for March 15th, is significantly preceded by the shortlist. The Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director categories are absent, nevertheless.
A Remarkable Arab Presence
With four films shortlisted for the shortlist this year, the Arab presence is especially noticeable. They consist of:
- “The President’s Cake” by Hassan Hadi (Iraq)
- “All That Remains of You” by Cherien Dabis (Jordan)
- “Palestine 36” by Annemarie Jacir (Palestine)
- “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia)
Nominations from prior years can be characterised as being scarce. For instance, just two Arab films—“Mother of All Lies” by Morocco’s Asmaa El Moudir and “Four Girls” by Tunisia’s Kaouther Ben Hania—made the 2023 shortlist. The Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi’s “From Ground Zero” was the only nominee in 2024.
The Palestinian Issue Grabbed the Stage in the Films
“All That Remains of You,” “Palestine 36,” and “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” three nominated films that examined Palestinian history, memory, identity, and contemporary reality, all focused on the Palestinian cause. This is in line with the broader trend among voters to draw attention to the Palestinian people’s suffering and strengthen their voice on the global scene.
This pattern is further highlighted by the Israeli film “The Sea” directed by Shay Carmeli-Pollak, being removed from the final shortlist. There are only five final nominees for the International Feature Film category; therefore, it is unlikely that more than one Arab film will appear on the official list. This may be one of the films that tackles the Palestinian issue.
International Co-Productions
Despite being categorised as Arab works, nearly all of the four films were co-produced by multiple nations. For instance, France, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the United States collaborated on “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which is credited to Tunisia. Several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France, Britain, Sweden, Australia, and Norway, contributed funds to “Palestine 36.”
“All That Remains of You” was co-produced with Jordan by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Germany, and the United States. “The President’s Cake” was mostly financed by the US and Qatar.
Read more: The Film ‘7 Dogs’ Enters the Guinness Book, Indicating Saudi Cinema’s Global Rise
Female Directorial Footprint
In contrast to the lone Arab film, “The President’s Cake,” which was made by a man, the other films on the Palestinian struggle demonstrate the inventiveness of women. This illustrates the tremendous advancements Arab female directors have achieved recently and their capacity to effectively communicate humanitarian concerns.
In total, seven of the fifteen films on the shortlist were directed by women, and ten of the fifteen documentaries on the longlist were also directed by women.
Read more: Shahad Ameen’s ‘Hijra’: Bringing Saudi Film to International Awareness
Strong International Competition
Eleven international films are competing with the Arabic ones, including:
- “Sirar” by Oliver Laxe (Spain)
- “The Secret Agent” by Claire Mendoza Filho (Brazil)
- “No Other Choice” by Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
- “Late Shift” by Petra Volpe (Switzerland)
- “The Left-Handed Girl” by Shih Tseng-Tsao (Taiwan)
- “Belen” by Dolores Fonzi (Argentina)
- “It Was Just an Accident” by Jafar Panahi (France)
- “Homebound” by Neeraj Gawan (India)
- “Kokuho” by Sang-Il Lee (Japan)
- “Sentimental Value” by Joachim Trier (Norway).
In summary, there will be intense competition between foreign, Arabic, and worldwide films in the upcoming months. The Arab film that is nominated for the finals will represent a significant humanitarian advancement since it will bring the people’s suffering to a worldwide audience.
Read more: MY DRIVER AND I is Headed to a Premiere in its Native Nation
