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HOBAL
Director: Abdulaziz Alshlahei
Liam of 80 years embraces the belief in the proximity of the "Hour of Resurrection" after the emergence of signs confirming his claim, the latest of which was the outbreak of the second Gulf War, which makes him insist on staying away from people and forcing his family with him to be cut off from all means of civilization so as not to be inflicted by torment, so the family obeys his instructions except "Assaf" who loves his cousin "Reefah" who is infected with "measles" after it spread within the family and fears that death will take her from him after his cousin died with the same disease, and tries to escape with her for treatment in the city that he has not seen since he was created, and repeats attempts until the opportunity comes to save her, which is not in his favor after he was encouraged by Grandfather Liam disappears in one of the ground cavities "Dahl" in the desert, and to remain confused whether he is alive or dead, which causes a conflict between his children so to who remain committed to his instructions, which stipulate the approaching hour and those who decide to disregard them.
FRONT ROW
Director: Merzak Allouache
Zhola Bouderbala and her five children wake up at dawn on a hot day and prepare to spend their first summer’s day at the beach. It is imperative to get there early, in order to get a spot in “the front row”, with an uninterrupted view of the beautiful sea. As the first to arrive, the family settles at the water’s edge; an idyllic day beckons. Then, when another family arrives, there is an unexpected disaster. Merzak Allouache, whose earlier film Omar Gatlato marked a turning point in Algerian cinema, gives us characters with wit, zest for life and an and endearing innocence. His ongoing exploration of contemporary Algeria, in all its charm and complexity, confirms his status as a cinematic pioneer.
MARIA
Director: Pablo Larraín
Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer the world has seen, died aged only 53 in her sumptuous Parisian apartment, discovered by the devoted servants who had spent their days hiding her pills and trying to persuade her to eat. She had not sung in public for years. Larrain’s swirling work of fantasy shows La Callas remembering - or hallucinating - performances from her past, her long affair with Aristotle Onassis and her loveless childhood in wartime Athens, where she sang for German soldiers. Wandering Paris in her last days, Maria is trailed by an imaginary journalist to whom she tries to explain the pain and effort of creation. Angelina Jolie conveys Callas’s grandeur and her inner tumult in a landmark performance.
SANTOSH
Director: Sandhya Suri
When Santosh’s husband, a policeman in a rural district in North India, is killed in a riot, the widow can only keep their home if she takes his job. Eager to succeed, she shows more determination than is usual among the misogynist male police when a low-caste girl is reported missing and then turns up dead. A charismatic senior woman officer, Inspector Sharma, is duly drafted in to head the murder investigation, becoming Santosh’s mentor. Success for women, however, generally means showing they can bend the rules as flagrantly as the men, where survival always comes at huge personal cost. A fascinating police procedural, focusing on the relationships within the force rather than crimes or culprits, the film is an investigation into deep-rooted systemic corruption.