Theeb (2014)

In the Ottoman Empire during days of World War I, a young Bedouin boy surreptitiously follows his older brother who is guiding a British officer to a railway. The group is ambushed by raiders and Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat’s titular Theeb is forced to grow up quickly. It’s an interesting context for a coming-of-age story. For a mostly amateur cast, the acting is quite good and believable. The desert setting is beautifully presented in all its dangerously arid glory.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film of the Year