Arab cinema is commanding attention at this year’s Venice Film Festival (running from August 27 to September 6). From Morocco to Palestine, filmmakers are breaking boundaries with stories of resilience, memory, and identity.
Here are some of the standout titles:
Coyotes, Palestine
Making history as the first Palestinian short to compete in Venice’s Orizzonti Shorts section, Coyotes is a thriller set over the course of a single drive. A Palestinian surgeon, drained after a long night shift, begins his commute home, only to find himself entangled in something far darker along a lonely West Bank road.
Directed by Said Zagha and starring Maria Zreik and Ali Suliman, this 20-minute short is a milestone for Palestinian storytelling in short-form cinema.
Calle Malaga, Morocco
Also competing in Venice Spotlight, Calle Malaga marks a quiet triumph for Moroccan director Maryam Touzani. Set in Tangier, the story centers on a 74-year-old woman grappling with the looming sale of her lifelong home. Touzani crafts a story that’s both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Hijra, Saudi Arabia
Screening in the Venice Spotlight section, Hijra is Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s most intimate work yet.
Set against the sun-bleached vastness of the Saudi desert, the film follows Sitti, an elder matriarch, and her granddaughter as they journey in search of a missing family member. It’s a story on womanhood, legacy, and survival across generations.
Palestine 36 to Premiere at Toronto Film Festival
The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania returns to Venice with The Voice of Hind Rajab, a feature that revisits the heartbreaking true story of six-year-old Hind Rajab, whose final, desperate call for help during 2024 bombardment of Gaza shook the world.
Blending documentary footage with narrative reconstruction, Ben Hania ensures that Hind is remembered. The film is competing in Venice’s main competition.
