A Bedouin boy accompanies a lost British Army officer on a dangerous trek through the desert. This feature debut, awarded at the Venice IFF, penetrates the distinctive culture of the nomadic tribes as captured against a mind-blowing natural backdrop.
Arabia 1916. A Bedouin boy becomes the responsibility of his older brother after their father dies. When a British Army officer stumbles onto their tribe, the brothers agree to accompany him on a dangerous journey across the desert. The story of Naji Abu Nowar’s feature debut is driven by Dakheel, a traditional Bedouin law requiring that guests be given protection regardless of the circumstances. The art of acquiring this honor transforms the boy into a man, and if he stands the test he will be worthy of the name Theeb (Wolf). Year-long, thoroughgoing preparations preceded shooting on location in a remote region of Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert. During that time the director lived among nomadic tribes that still maintain their original way of life. The picture is filled with the unmistakable culture of the Bedouins – from religious rituals and their poetic tradition to fighting skills – set against breathtaking natural scenery as captured by Austrian DOP Wolfgang Thaler. At the Venice IFF Naji Abu Nowar took Best Director in the Orizzonti section.
Jan Křipač
100 min / Color, DCP
Director Naji Abu Nowar
/ Screenplay Bassel Ghandour, Naji Abu Nowar
/ Dir. of Photography Wolfgang Thaler
/ Music Jerry Lane
/ Editor Rupert Lloyd
/ Art Director Anna Lavelle
/ Producer Bassel Ghandour, Rupert Lloyd
/ Production Bayt Al Shawareb
/ Coproduction Noor Pictures, Immortal Entertainment
/ Cast Jacir Eid, Hassan Mutlag, Hussein Salameh, Jack Fox, Marji Audeh
/ Sales Fortissimo Films
Naji Abu Nowar (b. 1981, Oxford, UK) was educated in the UK and Jordan, where he now lives and works. In 2005 his screenplay Hammer (Shakoush) was accepted for the RAWI Screenwriters Lab established by the Royal Film Commission Jordan and the Sundance Institute to assist independent Arab screenwriters in finishing their projects. His first movie, the short Death of a Boxer (2009), gained international buzz via screenings at several noted festivals (Dubai, Palm Springs, Miami). After premiering at Venice, his feature debut Theeb (2014) was selected by the program departments of the Toronto, London, Hong Kong, and Cairo festivals, the latter of which awarded him Best Director. In 2014 Variety magazine named him Arab Director of the Year.
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