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Arabic	Abouna	AF0007
	From dusty village in the Republic of Chad, two brothers, Amine and Tahir, set out in search of their father. Reflecting the rhythms of Africa, Abouna is a film rich in culture with a deep understanding of the human condition in general and youth in particular. This devastatingly powerful, magnificently photographed drama is director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s triumphant follow-up to his international award winning Bye Bye Africa.

Arabic	Ahla al Awkat (The Best of Times)	AF0028
	A young woman find herself awkwardly living with her step-father after her mother's tragic death. She longs for her happy childhood days and decides to search for her father. This quest reunites her with two childhood friends. Through this unlikely reunion, we are given an insight into the lives of three very different women in contemporary society, present by the young and talented Hala Khalil in her directorial debut.

Arabic	Ahlam Hind wa Kamilia (Dreams of Hind and Camelia)	AF0027
	Traces the friendship of two exploited servant women of Cairo: Camilla, divorced and unable to have children, and Hind, a widow from the countryside who longs to return to her home village. When Hind gives birth to a girl, they name her Ahlam, meaning "dreams." But will their own dreams elude them, or will they triumph against the odds?

Arabic	Alexandria Again and Forever	AF0006
	This complicated and surreal autobiographical film explores the personal life and fantasies that have shaped the motion pictures of Youssef Chahine. Taking a stand for democracy, Yehia (Chahine’s on-screen alter ego), joins a hunger protest which has rallied together the entire Egyptian film industry. As the strikers mount their demands, the director becomes overwhelmed by his infatuation for Amir, the young actor whose career he launched with the film Alexandria… Why? But this obsession is soon overshadowed by his interest in Nadia, the beautiful ingénue whom he decides to cast in his next feature. (Final chapter of Chahine’s Alexandria Trilogy.)

Arabic	Alexandria...Why?	AF0005
	Set against the panoramic backdrop of war-torn Egypt, director Youssef Chahine tells a highly personal tale of love and determination. Amid the poverty, death, and suffering caused by World War II, 18-year-old Yehia retreats into a private world of fantasy and longing. Obsessed with Hollywood, he dreams of one day studying filmmaking in America, but after falling in love and discovering the lies of European occupation, Yehia profoundly reevaluates his identity and allegiances. (First chapter of Chahine’s Alexandria Trilogy.)

Arabic	Ali Zaoua: prince de la rue (Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets)	AF0012
	Nabil Ayouch’s first feature, Mektoub, was Morocco’s official entry in the 1999 Academy Awards. Mektoub became one of the most successful and acclaimed features in Moroccan history. For Ali Zaoua, Ayouch casts homeless children from the streets of Casablanca. Ali Zaoua’s urban landscapes are a far cry from the iconic images of the legendary film Casablanca. However, Ayouch’s compassion toward the children and their plight is evident in every frame of the film as he contrasts their stark reality with the fantastic dream world to which they seek to escape.

Arabic	al-Irhab wal-Kabab (Terrorism and BBQ)	AF0024
	Government employee Ahmed El-Bab goes to the Education Administration Department at the Tahrir complex to transfer his children to another school. He's treated with insolence and negligence by the clerks. He rebels and loses his temper with one of the clerks. The clerk calls security, Ahmed clashes with them and a bullet is fired by mistake. The security man runs away and Ahmed takes possession of the rifle. A rumor spreads that terrorists have taken over the complex. Ahmed is then joined by four others including Hind, a woman arrested for solicitng. The terrorists are asked for their demands, Admand Demands a large quantity of barbeque and the plot unfolds.

Arabic	An Egyptian Story	AF0004
	Famed Egyptian director Yehia falls ill with a heart condition that requires surgery. During the operation, a child embodying his conscience accuses him of betraying his ideals. A metamorphic trial ensues in which various witnesses offer their testimony about “the defendant.” These proceedings force the filmmaker to come to terms with hidden emotions involving his life, his work, and his country. Yehia’s conscience loses the trial and a redundant organ is expelled from his body. But will this loss be fatal? (Second chapter of Chahine’s Alexandria Trilogy.)

Arabic	Divine Intervention: A Chronicle of Love and Pain	AF0013
	At the center of the Middle East conflict, hearts beat in tragic comedy and deadpan irony: a sexy young Palestinian woman defies Israeli soldiers and struts through a check-point as if it were the catwalk of a fashion show, Santa Claus is chased up the sun-drenched hills of Nazareth by a gang of knife-wielding school kids, Israeli police use a blindfolded prisoner to provide directions to tourists in Jerusalem and a female ninja descends from the sky, holding a map of ‘Palestine’ as her battle shield. These are but a few of the provocative images put forth in Elia Suleiman’s critically-acclaimed satire chronicling these absurdities of life and love on both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli border.

Arabic	Doa al Karawan (The Nightingale's Prayer)	AF0029
	Based on the novel by the great Egyptian novelist, Taha Hussein, THE NIGHTINGALE'S PRAYER stars the first lady of the Arab silver screen, Faten Hamama. This compelling tale of love and betrayal, set in the upper Egyptian countryside, follows the story of Amna (Hamama) as she plots her revenge on the engineer (Ahmed Mazhar) who destroyed her family's honor.

This collection of international films and documentaries is used exclusively by students and faculty of the School World Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. The World Studies Media Center strictly adheres to the copyrights and fair use guidelines of all titles housed in this collection.

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