‘Theeb’ to premiere in Iraq Thursday

AMMAN — Award-winning Jordanian feature “Theeb” arrives in Iraq’s theatres on Thursday, after “successful commercial releases” in nine Arab countries, the film’s distributor, MAD Solutions, said in a statement released Saturday.

Naji Abu Nowar’s “bedouin Western” is currently playing in Jordan, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, and it will be released in the Netherlands, the UK and other countries, MAD Solutions said. 

The 100-minute adventure film is also set to premiere in the United States later this year.

Since its international debut in September 2014, “Theeb” has gained acclaim by critics and audiences all over the world and won 13 prestigious film festival awards, the film’s distributor said.

Variety magazine also named Abu Nowar, who co-wrote the feature with Bassel Ghandour, as Arab Filmmaker of the Year in 2014. 

So far, “Theeb” has been commercially released in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt and Switzerland.

Filmed entirely in the Kingdom’s Southern Badia region, the feature “revolves around Theeb and his brother Hussein who abandon their tribe to go on a perilous journey during the beginning of the Great Arab Revolt”.

The cast included only one professional actor — Jack Fox of the UK as the British officer — while the other actors were from the local tribesmen of bedouin communities after they were given acting workshops during the eight months prior to principal photography.

“Theeb” received the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at Venice Film Festival. It also received a Special Mention at BFI London Film Festival, in addition to the New Horizons’ Best Film from the Arab World Award and the FIPRESCI Award for Best Narrative Film at Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

The film has also received a certificate of appreciation within the Prospects of Arab Cinema section at Cairo International Film Festival and Best Directorial Debut Award at the Directors’ Debuts Competition within the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (CAMERIMAGE) in Poland.