Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month with inspiring films on Kanopy that explore the history, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans—totally FREE! Access Kanopy through your library and start streaming documentaries, narratives, and more. Discover the collection at kanopy.com/category/78249.
This acclaimed film depicts the clash between culture and family as seen through the eyes of a young Tunisian woman balancing the traditional expectations of her family with her creative life as the singer in a politically charged rock band. As I Open My Eyes offers a nuanced portrait of the individual implications of the incipient Arab Spring.
A widow pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save her daughter and home from a relative exploiting Jordan’s patriarchal inheritance laws. This thriller from the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival was Jordan’s Official Entry for Best International Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Confronted with the wounds of her parents’ long-broken relationship, coupled with the unavoidable clash of old-world and modern values, May is led to question the direction her life is taking. Her once carefully structured world appears to unravel as she grapples with her own truths in this fresh look at a woman caught in the crossroads between tradition and choice.
When the band’s appearance at a UK music festival isn’t the life-changer they had hoped for, Lilas comes home to Lebanon on the brink of collapse. At the same time, the complicated relationship between Lilas and her fellow guitarist Shery starts to fracture. The future of her band, her country, and her dreams now all at stake, Lilas faces a crossroad. She must decide what kind of leader she will be, not only for her band, but also as a young woman struggling to define herself in Lebanon, a country as complex as each of the Sirens themselves.
Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. In order to keep up with the commands of the demanding customers, they hire Youssef. The talented apprentice shows an utmost dedication in learning the art of embroidery and tailoring from Halim. Slowly Mina realizes how much her husband is moved by the presence of the young man.
