Best Qatari movies

Control Room (2004)

A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.

Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

When Mariam, a young Tunisian woman, is raped by police officers after leaving a party, she is propelled into a harrowing night in which she must fight for her rights even though justice lies on the side of her tormentors.

The Unknown Saint (2020)

Following a stint behind bars, a thief returns to where he buried his loot, only to find that his hiding spot is now a shrine to an unknown saint.

Omar (2012)

The life of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islamic State, before and after he embraces in Islam. A comprehensive documentary for one of the greatest eras in the history of Islam: the era of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. Expanding the Islamic state shortly after the death of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) to the entire Arab World; standing on the threshold of India and China in the East and the gates of Europe in the North; and roll into the North Africa under the leadership of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab: a leader who made ​​an outstanding example of a role model for many generations to come. While very proud of his religion and culture, Omar exemplified openness to other cultures and human values at their highest standards.

October 7 (2024)

Hamas’s incursion into Israel on October 7 transformed the politics of the Middle East. Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) has carried out a forensic analysis of the events of that day – examining seven hours of footage from CCTV, dashcams, personal phones and headcams of dead Hamas fighters, and drawing up a comprehensive list of those killed. In October 7, the I-Unit reveals widespread human rights abuses by Hamas fighters and others who followed them through the fence from Gaza into Israel. But the investigation also found that many of the worst stories that came out in the days following the attack were false. This was especially true of atrocities that were used repeatedly by politicians in Israel and the West to justify the ferocity of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, such as the mass killing of babies and allegations of widespread and systematic rape.

If Only I Could Hibernate (2024)

Ulzii, a teenager from a poor neighborhood in Ulaanbaatar, is determined to win a sciences-physics competition to get a scholarship. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his brother and sister in the middle of winter. Ulzii wanders around at night looking for things to burn for heat while preparing for the national competition.

Wallay (2017)

Ady, a 13 years old boy, no longer listens to his father who raises him alone. The latter, running out of resources, decides to entrust Ady to his uncle Amadou for the summer. Uncle Amadou and his family live on the other side of the Mediterranean sea... in Burkina Faso! There, at 13 years, one must become a man but Ady, persuaded to go on holidays, understands things differently.

In the Future, They Ate from the Finest Porcelain (2015)

In the Future They Ate From the Finest Porcelain resides in the cross-section between sci-fi, archaeology and politics. Combining live motion, archival images and CGI, the film explores the role of myth for history, fact and national identity.

Ladder to Damascus (2013)

A young aspiring actress in Syria discovers she has been inhabited by the soul of a woman who died on the day she was born.

Al-Sit (2020)

An arranged marriage in a cotton-farming village in Sudan. Does 15-year-old Nafisa have a choice?

Liborio (2021)

Liborio is a peasant who disappears in a hurricane and returns as a prophet. He says he’s been given a mission: to bring the good and take away the evil, curing the sick and teaching by example. People begin to congregate by his side and they move to the mountains to have total freedom and develop his dream of an independent community. Everything changes when the invading US Marines wants to disarm and disband the community. Liborio wants to avoid a confrontation but they know they can't run forever.

I Promise You Paradise (2023)

Following a violent incident, Eissa, a 17-year-old African migrant in Egypt, strives to beat the clock to save his loved ones whatever it takes.

Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark (2011)

As the "Arab Spring" protests for justice and democracy spread through the middle east in early 2011, people long repressed by the Bahrain monarchy spontaneously gathered at the central Pearl Square to join in the call for their rights.

Turtles Are Always Home (2016)

I left Lebanon in 2006. For the past 10 years I lived in 7 countries, 10 cities, and 21 homes. I slept in 21 beds, cooked in 21 kitchens, cleaned 21 bathrooms, stared at 21 windows, wrote on 21 desks, and locked 21 doors behind me. I packed all of my life into two suitcases and a backpack. The rest stayed behind. Somebody somewhere uses my bed, somebody somewhere has my shoes. I was there. But now I am here.

Once Upon a Time in Sarajevo (2014)

Can three comedians from Bosnia overcome the bitterness of the past to reunite and reconcile? Often compared to Monty Python's Flying Circus the comedy team from Sarajevo known as Top Lista Nadrealista or The Surrealist Hit Parade rose to prominence on the eve of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Nele, Zenit and Djuro became household names throughout the Balkans. The wars that followed the splintering of the country pitted each of the diverse communities against one another. The bitter conflict exposed some nationalist loyalties among the comedians and lead to the acrimonious break-up of Top Lista. The split reflecting the broader tribulations dividing their homeland.

Sudan, Remember Us (2024)

In a Sudan torn apart by years of war, this documentary immerses us in the daily fight of young Sudanese. Their stories, both harrowing and inspiring, remind us of the ability to find hope even in the darkest of circumstances. This documentary is a call to attention to a forgotten crisis, and a tribute to the power of creativity as a tool of survival and resistance.

It's Bisan from Gaza and I'm Still Alive (2023)

Bisan Owda, journalist and influencer collaborator of the media AJ+, is at the forefront of reporting by filming with her phone, the daily life of Palestinians to the world since October 7, 2023, the start of the war and devastation from Gaza. Owda's storytelling style and resilience have captured international attention, with his work widely covered by international media. She received an Emmy Award in 2024 for her outstanding coverage of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The Black Veil (2021)

An oppressed woman (Sana Al-Habib) puts her life at risk in order to find her freedom.

Look at Me (2018)

Torn between the life he thought he could leave behind in Tunisia and the life he’s created for himself in Marseille, a man finds himself at a crucial crossroads, in Nejib Belkadhi’s latest.

Gaza (2024)

This feature length investigation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit exposes Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip through the medium of photos and videos posted online by Israeli soldiers themselves during the year long conflict. The I-Unit has built up a database of thousands of videos, photos and social media posts. Where possible it has identified the posters and those who appear. The material reveals a range of illegal activities, from wanton destruction and looting to the demolition of entire neighbourhoods and murder. The film also tells the story of the war through the eyes of Palestinian journalists, human rights workers and ordinary residents of the Gaza Strip. And it exposes the complicity of Western governments – in particular the use of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as a base for British surveillance flights over Gaza.

Caravan (2016)

Set in a Doha traffic jam, this film narrates the stream of consciousness flowing through a cross-section of Qatari society as they meditate on their lives.

1er mouvement (0)

This Is Not A Drill (2019)

In the wake of a radioactive blast, a young and pregnant couple, Maya and Malik follow instructions from the president’s subsequent announcement— “Stay inside, seal all potential passageways from toxic air”. However, they soon find contradictory information online, pointing out the possibility that the presidential announcement was just a fake video from the terrorists themselves. Instead, in order to survive the radioactive blast, they must immediately drive away from the epicentre of the attack. Trust issues boil over as Malik and Maya are torn by the decision that will determine their fate. Should they stay, or should they go?

Cabaret Crusades: The Secrets of Karbala (2015)

The crusades come to life in Egyptian artist Wael Shawky’s beautiful Cabaret Crusades. Inspired by the writings of Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, Shawky’s film trilogy explores the horrors of the medieval holy wars in the Middle-East – from an Arab perspective. With a cast made up entirely of puppets, the third part, The Secrets of Karbala (2014), centres on the period between the 7th and 12th centuries, covering the crusades as well as a dispute between two Islamic sects. Beautifully made of handblown Murano glass, the puppets have amazing expressive power, making the scenes full of violence, repression and torture all the more awe-inspiring.

Maady Jaddy min 'Ouyoony (2012)

In Noor Ahmad Yaqub’s 1 Minnute Film a grandfather tells his granddaughter about the Qatar he grew up in many years ago. As he tells the story, the young girl imagine s what that world must have been like back then

Ava (2017)

Based on her own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s AVA is a gripping debut about a young girl’s coming-of-age in a strict, traditional society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is a bright and focused teen whose concerns — friendships, music, social status, academic performance — resemble that of nearly any teenager. When Ava’s mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy — going so far as to visit a gynecologist — Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. Formerly a model student, Ava begins to rebel against the strictures imposed by her parents, her school, and the society at large.

Ghost Hunting (2017)

A set-up for an experiment in an empty room. Former inmates reconstruct an Israeli secret service interrogation centre. These Palestinian men use role play to come to terms with their memories and the humiliation they have experienced.

House in the Fields (2017)

In a village in the High Atlas Mountains, at the crossroad between tradition and change, two sisters experience the last seasons of childhood.

My English Cousin (2019)

Full of hope, Fahed arrived in England from Algeria back in 2001. Fifteen years later, his dreams of prosperity have evaporated and he finds himself in a midlife crisis, no longer knowing where his home is. Will Fahed, the director's cousin, return to his place of birth?

Eyes of Gaza (2024)

More journalists have been killed over the course of a year in the Israel-Gaza war than in any other conflict since the Committee to Protect Journalists started collecting data in 1992. This hellish portrait follows three Palestinian journalists in northern Gaza as they are forced put their lives at risk while trying to do their work.