Theeb: La naissance d'un chef

Set in the Ottoman province of Hijaz, in 1916, around the time of WWI. Really?? The only suggestion to a world war is when the foreigner says "we are in a war". Hussein (Hussein Salameh) and Theeb (Jacir Eid) are from a family of pilgrim guides. The arrival of the train now helps pilgrims reach Mecca ruining their chief source of income. When a Englishman comes to their clan's camp with a desert guide, rules of Bedouin hospitality force the family to send someone(Hussein) with two men to their destination, Theeb joins. It is a engrossing adventure tale of a young boy forced to grow up and survive in a desert full of bandits, untrustworthy adults. You immerse into the story and it feels like you are watching the adventure live in the desert from start to end thanks to the direction that shows the entire journey from Theeb's point-of-view, our curiosity matches that of Theeb, who heads out to follow his brother and the mysterious British officer. Events are surprising and gripping and take you in the opposite direction of what you are expecting. The stunning scenery and cinematography that helps suggests emotional state, struggles and coming-of-age of Theeb supported by a heart stopping score make this film a benchmark. This is a Must-watch one of a kind road journey where you root for Theeb as he looks for his road in the unending desert.

These days with every kid in town -- along with their cat -- signing up for film school, it is refreshing to attend what amounts to a clinic on how to captivate and hypnotize an audience with one powerful star and scenery that captures the eye and seems almost an character on its own.

All the more remarkable since, for viewers in the west, you have to deal with subtitles as well.

So to sum up, you have a slow moving film with subtitles that has a star unchallenged by puberty, and nothing really seems to happen for most the film, but you will be unable to turn away.

Not too shabby.

When is the next one due?

Set during the Ottoman province of Hijaz during World War I, we meet a tribe of whom Theeb ('Wolf') is the son of the late Sheik. One night a friend arrives with a British officer seeking a guide across the desert. This turns out to be his brother's job but being an inquisitive young boy he sneaks along and so begins his coming of age.

To say anymore might be a plot spoiler. This is an interesting film but it is not an action packed affair. There is a bit of action, but this is more psychological in how it deals with the extremes that befall the characters and how they deal with them. It has moments of tension and can be violent in places and I found a lot to praise in this UAE, Jordan, Qatari and British co production.

In Arabic with a small amount of English, and good sub titles this is one of those films that will stay with you – but in a good way – recommended for World cinema fans.

I saw this film last night in London at the Curzon Bloomsbury (formerly the Renoir)and was utterly astounded! This is a hauntingly beautiful film shot in a wide-angled camera in Wadi Ram, Jordan, telling the coming of age story of a young Bedouin boy Theeb, accompanying his older bother on a hazardous journey across the dessert, to help a British officer reach a secret destination. The background to the story is the changing way of life in the dessert, during the first world war, following the building of a new railway line that shortened the trip to Mecca from one month on the back of a camel, to one week by train. The new rail line had a devastating effect on the lives of the dessert nomads.

The film is exceptionally beautify, the story is straight forward but gripping, the acting, mostly by non-professionals, is superb. The bright colour of the arid dessert is in sharp contrast to our urban living. This is a striking, memorable film that deserves an Oscar.

As an Arab born and raised in the same spot I found it reflecting the true image almost the same culture and language and conversations at that point of time. Even Badwen words and culture was presented fine. Unlike other movies presenting clowns pretending to be Arabs. However the story wasn't great and it could be better also the conversations and actors were very weak and not big and loud as it should be.

I am raising the hat for the director and I know he can do better than that in the future but should work more on the story and the conversations.