Other movies
ROGUE HEROES
Director: Tom Shankland
How the SAS was formed becomes a ripping yarn, peppered with extra swearing, violence and pranks, in a six-part series written for the BBC by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight. Set in Egypt in 1941, when Britain was losing against Germany’s crack desert troops, it tells the largely true story of how three tearaway British officers came up with a plan to stage parachute raids on the Nazis’ supply lines. It was reckless to the point of madness, which is clearly the attraction for both Knight and his fearless characters, played by A-listers Connor Swindells, Jack O’Connell and Alfie Allen. A free and fun interpretation of the racy history of the same name by Ben MacIntyre, go-to writer for stories of crack soldiers and spies, Rogue Heroes has it all: splashy violence, British wit, a heavy metal soundtrack and a glamorous Algerian spy played by Sophie Boutella.
THE HEYSEL TRAGEDY
Director: Jan Verheyen
It was the tragedy that would change football forever and shake sports fans everywhere. The Heysel Stadium disaster of 29 May 1985 left 39 people dead and 600 injured, crushed against a wall after several charges by English hooligans caused panic among spectators waiting for the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus. Jan Verheyen directs a six-part documentary series that includes interviews with an Italian who lost his father and grandfather, a repentant former English hooligan and witnesses who describe the poor security and facilities at the ground. Three years later, the Heysel trial began in Brussels in front of the world’s press. It was soon to be dominated by the question of who, if anyone, was to blame, as is this series. “Who is responsible when there are hundreds of people behaving wildly?” asks series producer Genevieve Lemal. “How can 26 people be responsible for hundreds of people being wounded?”
THE ACTOR
Director: Nima Javidi
Gifted actors Ali and Morteza (Venice best-actor winner Navid Mohammadzadeh and Ahmad Mehranfar) have nothing to their names but a derelict theatre for which they can barely make rent. They scrape a living by staging elaborate, costumed party pranks for Teheran’s rich-kid set, hoping to get back to the stage sometime. Their fortunes take a turn, however, when they are spotted by a shadowy private detectives’ agency that uses improv actors as investigators. Using their skills at building scenes and assuming different characters, they are able to inveigle their way into the scenes of unsolved crimes. Ali and Morteza are soon joined by a talented actress and a make-up artist; they form a team of great pretenders.
SOUTH AFRICA EATS
Director: Ashfaaq Carim
You are what you eat – and what we eat also reflects who we are. The food scene in South Africa is vibrant and rich, the product of a country forged from the mingling of multiple ethnicities, migration and colonisation. Over eight episodes, series host and serious foodie Ashfaaq Carim – who is also Muslim, which informs his journey – will explore a spectrum of flavours and famous South African specialties, pairing them with original music from the regions he visits. Three pilot episodes have been shot so far. For international viewers, Carim hopes to offer an insight into his country’s complex rainbow identity. Locals, meanwhile, can take pride in their daily specials: the stews, snacks, neighbourhood hangouts and breathtaking landscapes that are uniquely South African.
(거래(GEORAE))
THE DEAL
Crime, Thriller and Suspense | Running Time: 118 minutes
2023 / Korean
Country: South Korea
MENA Premiere
ProducerHadeuk Yong, Hyun-Ki Yoon
CastYoo Seung-Ho, Kim Dong-Hwi, Yoo Su-Bin, Lee Joo-Young
ScriptwriterJong-Sung Hong
Three old high-school friends meet after a long time apart and get drunk. When Min-woo – who comes from a rich Korean family – falls asleep, Jun Seong and Jea Hyo put him to bed, then answer a call from home on his cell phone. They pretend to be his kidnappers – “We have your son! Prepare a billion won!” – but the game soon becomes terribly real as it turns into plan, a ransom materialises and Min-woo realises how he is being used. Not that he is a pushover, as his former friends will discover when he becomes their accomplice. The twists and turns as the three of them try to score the perfect deal keep the thrills coming and the stakes escalating.