Unfortunately, Arabic movies sometimes go unnoticed, but there are always some gems to be found. They often offer a very different feel to cinema, bringing forth new perspectives and helping the viewer connect to different narratives. The Arab world is far from perfect, from political oppression and unfair gender discrimination to poverty and corruption, and it is eye-opening (and sometimes politically dangerous) to see these narratives represented on screen. These movies aren't just about struggles though; they breathe life and will make you feel something. That's a beautiful thing about impactful cinema — you come out different after every viewing experience. These are some of the best Arabic movies you should watch.

Caramel

Nadine Labaki in Caramel
Rotana Studios

Caramel is a heartwarming film that chronicles the lives of five Lebanese women living and working in Beirut. Four of them work at a beauty salon that is filled with humor and action because of their banter. The remaining one works as seamstress and takes care of her older sister. Each woman has her own set of circumstances, but they’re all looking for the same thing — love, company, friendship, and a fulfilling life. What makes Caramel special is that it allows the viewer an intimate look at the problems of these women, from betrayal, to feeling inadequate, to social pressures, in a very honest way without ever being too intensely sad.

The balance of portraying the issues of certain women and especially ones in a middle Eastern society honestly yet playfully is what makes this movie fresh. It evokes a cozy feeling through its frames, friendships and soundtracks; it is a film with a distinct mood. What’s even more impressive is that Nadine Labaki, one of the main characters of the movie as Layal, gives a stunning performance but was also the director and a co-director of the script which truly showcases how talented she is.

Related: 10 Male Directors Who Know How To Write Women Properly

Omar

Omar movie
Adopt Films

Omar is an Oscar nominated film by Hany Abu-Assad. It tells the story of a young Palestinian freedom fighter who repeatedly climbs the West Bank Barrier to reunite with the woman he is deeply in love with. However, in one of his crossings, he is caught by Israeli Soldiers, where he ends up beaten and humiliated. Bitter from the incident and the everyday struggles he faces from the occupation, he and his friends decide to kill an Israeli soldier. Yet, Omar is not the shooter but is the one who gets captured and tortured. The agent that tortures him offers him a deal — if he releases him, he has to work as an informant for the Israelis, collaborate with them and betray his friends.

Omar accepts, but no one knows what he has in mind, and what ensues is an intense drama leaving Omar in one of the hardest situations to be in. Apart from the micro-look that the film gives into the very complex lives of Palestinians and Israelis, and the walls that separate them, Omar is also a depiction of the harsh realities of being occupied and colonized in all nations alike. It’s an even closer look at division, the constant fear, paranoia and exclusion, and the intensely sad situation that constant wars has left the world in.

Yommedine

Yommedine
Wild Bunch

Yommedine is a very unique movie that shines a light on the true lives of individuals in the Abu Zaabal leper colony. Leprosy is a harsh condition that causes skin deformities and nerve damage that could be contagious if someone spends prolonged periods of time with an infected person. Even then, it is hard to catch it, as 95% of the population is immune to the disease. With that information, the colony is home to 6000 individuals who remain there because they are scared of venturing into the outside world given their situation which makes their lives all-the more harsh and isolated.

The film zooms in on Bashay, a man who has had leprosy but who has been cured; he is forced out of his comfort zone when a tragedy suddenly hits him, and he decides has to go back home, which is 100 of miles away. He makes the journey on a donkey. The movie honestly portrays the highs and lows of his journey and the inevitable discrimination he unfortunately faces. It’s the perfect case of being an outcast in an unknown world you only wish was kinder to you. Yommedine is an important film for humanity.

Wadjda

Wadjda
Rotana Film Production

Wadjda is a BAFTA-nominated film by Haifaa Al-Mansour. The powerful film tells the story of Wadjda, a 10-year-old girl who is on the look-out for any opportunity that will help her save money in order to buy the green bicycle she desperately wants. She lives in a conservative society where her mother is against the idea of riding a bicycle as it is against a good girl’s reputation. Meanwhile, her brother Abdalla doesn’t face the same societal discrimination and Wadjda is deeply aware of that. When she hears of a cash prize for a Quran recitation competition at school, she makes it her mission to memorize and recite the verses so that she can get one step closer to the bike of her dreams.

The simple and beautiful story offers a magnifying glass to the true conservatism, prejudice, and discrimination women face in Arabic societies, from their hopes, dreams, and desires, to the way they dress and the way they are expected to show up in the world. Wadjda is a beautiful tale about testing where the boundaries of your societies are, being disappointed but fighting for your freedom and self-expression nevertheless. Waad Mohamed as Wadjda gives a phenomenal performance, one of the best from any child actor, which is truly impressive as it was her first role in a production.

Theeb

Theeb
Film Movement

Theeb, a film by Naji Abu Nowar, is set in the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I and unravels the journey of Theeb, an orphaned young boy from a Bedouin tribe who is desperate to join his brother and a British officer as they journey into the Wadi Rum Desert to reach a well next to the Ottoman train tracks. However, the journey is far from easy, and Theeb is faced with new challenges that physically and psychologically test him as he faces new realities and responsibilities previously unknown to him.

The film is an ode to curiosity, loyalty and the places it takes you which are always a risk but also a true testament to being alive and fearless. Theeb has a visually captivating backdrop of the vast desert, that will completely absorb you into a way of life and of existing. The director and producer spent a year living with the Bedouin in Jordan in order to accurately portray their culture and know the area intimately when it came to shooting which completely paid off with the director winning a BAFTA award. On top of that, the protagonists were actual Bedouins which made the movie all-the more real.

The Square

The Square
Netflix

The Square is yet another Oscar-nominated Arabic film that documents the story of the six different protesters who believed in the Egyptian Revolution, risking their lives, which led to the fall of Mubarak and then onto the transitional period that led to the military rule which only threatened what they were seeking in the first place. The Square is an extremely brave film, the kind that sends directors to prison, because of how extremely hard it is to film because of the nature of the subject in a country that doesn’t allow for criticism of the government.

The Square attempts to chronicle the different sides of the story which were largely misrepresented in the media, especially Western media. The documentary also shines a light on how difficult it is to have a radical political reform when you’re not just fighting the government but when your people are also extremely divided in their views as to how they want the nation to move forward. For many, oppression, freedom of expression, violence, and corruption is the norm even if their country is seemingly stable or not at war, which only brews a higher desire for freedom. But can it ever be achieved, even after bloodshed?

Related: The Very Best Political Thrillers of the 1970s

Captain Abu Raed

Captain Abu Raed
Fortissimo Films

Captain Abu Raed is a truly inspiring film by Amin Matalqa that is a beautiful celebration for Jordanian cinema. It follows the life of an airport janitor, Raed, who has always dreamed of traveling and exploring all corners of the world. However, traveling is a luxury he couldn’t afford.When he one day wears a pilot’s hat he found in the trash, the kids think he is a pilot and look at him like he is a beacon of hope. His neighborhood is full of poverty, hopes and dreams where the children of his district are curiously dying to know his grand adventures of the outside world through the eyes of someone familiar.

With the harsh realities they are facing, he realizes telling imaginary stories might actually do some good to his local community. As he tells his stories, Abu Raed proves he is far from a simple man, with depth and an outlook on life that is priceless. The film is moving because it shows how beautiful an attitude is despite one’s circumstance and that is truly a life lesson. It takes you on a beautiful journey through the streets of Amman, the ugly, the beautiful and the kids only make this movie even more humanistic and touching.