Amazon Prime Video offers a number of films, documentaries, and series with Arab American and Arab-descent actors, writers, directors, and/or with Arab, Arab American, and/or Middle Eastern themes. You need to have a Prime subscription to watch the full films; some titles may require additional memberships, such as Prime HBO, or may be available to rent / purchase. Trailers (from YouTube) for a few of these titles are highlighted below; films / series include closed captions. Watch the entire films on Amazon Prime Video.
Legendary film classic based on the novel by Boris Pasternak: "During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide. Yuri falls in love with beautiful Lara Guishar (Julie Christie), who has been having an affair with her mother's lover, Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), an unscrupulous businessman." (Description from IMDB) Duration: Available to rent from Prime for $2.99 or purchase at $7.99. Omar Sharif was an internationally known Egyptian actor, known as the first Egyptian and African to be nominated for an Oscar in any category.
"A poignant political comedy about being brown and an immigrant in America as seen through the eyes of comedians of Middle Eastern origin." This film of comedy from Middle Eastern and Muslim American comedians is a response to the so-called Muslim ban. Warning that this film includes brief scenes of hate language and images of violence against Muslim Americans and Arab Americans. Starring Aron Kader, Maz Jobrani, Ahmed Ahmed, and others. Duration: 1 hour 52 min. Aron Kader is Palestinian American, Ahmed Ahmed is Egyptian American, and Maz Jobrani is Iranian American.
"Winner of more than 49 international awards, this adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz's novel, transposed to Mexico City, features one of Salma Hayek's first starring roles." (Description from Prime) Duration: Two hours 25 min. In Spanish, subtitles in English. Internationally-known actor Salma Hayek is of Lebanese-Mexican descent and is frequently included on lists of Arab-descent actors. Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.
Mr. Robot follows Elliott (Rami Malek), a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. Elliott finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader (Christian Slater) of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the corporation he is paid to protect. Seasons 1-4, starring the amazing Rami Malek. Duration: Most episodes are approximately 45 min. Rami Malek is Egyptian American, born and raised in California. He has won numerous awards including an Emmy (for Mr. Robot) and an Oscar (for Bohemian Rhapsody). Mr. Robot also stars Ramy Youssef in a recurring role.
"Comedian and actor Ramy Youssef shares hilarously candid anecdotes from his life in this stand-up special." (Description from Prime) From HBO; heads-up that language includes frequent f-bombs thus may not be suitable for all audiences. Duration: 56 min. Available through Prime HBO membership. Ramy Youssef is Egyptian American, born and raised in New York City and New Jersey. Seasons 1 and 2 of Youssef's award-winning Hulu series Ramy are also available via Prime for purchase at $1.99 per episode or $18.99 per season.
ISU Library subscribes to Kanopy, a vast and eclectic collection of documentaries and feature films. Strong focus on educational resources, social, political, and cultural issues, and numerous international film classics. Here are a number of Kanopy's titles with Arab and Arab American creators, actors, stories, and / or themes related to Arabs and Arab Americans.
"In the Arab-American neighborhood outside of Chicago where journalist and filmmaker Assia Boundaoui grew up, most of her neighbors think they have been under surveillance for over a decade. While investigating their experiences, Assia uncovers tens of thousands of pages of FBI documents that prove her hometown was the subject of one of the largest counter terrorism investigations ever conducted in the U.S. before 9/11, code-named "Operation Vulgar Betrayal." With unprecedented access, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED weaves the personal and the political as it follows the filmmaker's examination of why her community-including her own family-fell under blanket government surveillance." Duration: 88 min.
"Jennifer, an American journalist, befriends Mohamed, a young Iraqi refugee living in Syria. She crosses the line from reporter to advocate, and what follows is a journey that proves to be more than either bargained for - as illusions are shattered, a friendship is tested, and one man struggles to attain the 'American Dream.'" Duration: 85 min.
"In the wake of 911 the U.S. government launched a 21st century pogrom against Arabs and Muslims in the U.S, inflaming racial and religious hatreds and fears. Violence against immigrants, especially Arabs, imprisonment without trial, especially for Muslims became shockingly common occurrences in the United States. Jason da Silva's film tracks the heavy hand of the state as it disrupted the lives of so many ordinary people in launching of the Bush administration's "War on Terror." Comparisons are made to the Chinese Exclusion Act of the late 19th century and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Part three of a twelve part series from Deep Dish TV on the war in Iraq." Duration: 30 min.
"This groundbreaking documentary dissects a slanderous aspect of cinematic history that has run virtually unchallenged from the earliest days of silent film to today's biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Featuring acclaimed author Dr. Jack Shaheen, the film explores a long line of degrading images of Arabs - from Bedouin bandits and submissive maidens to sinister sheikhs and gun-wielding "terrorists" - along the way offering devastating insights into the origin of these stereotypic images, their development at key points in US history, and why they matter so much today. Shaheen shows how the persistence of these images over time has served to naturalize prejudicial attitudes toward Arabs and Arab culture, in the process reinforcing a narrow view of individual Arabs and the effects of specific US domestic and international policies on their lives. By inspiring critical thinking about the social, political, and basic human consequences of leaving these Hollywood caricatures unexamined, the film challenges viewers to recognize the urgent need for counter-narratives that do justice to the diversity and humanity of Arab people and the reality and richness of Arab history and culture. Viewer Discretion Advised: Contains graphic violent language & imagery." (Description from Kanopy) Duration: 51 min.
"The Palestinian American musician Simon Shaheen's mastery of the Arabic oud and violin has brought him international acclaim. This film, the first in Documentary Arts' Connecting Cultures series, follows Shaheen in his daily life in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn where he lives, and documents his performances at Symphony Space in New York City and the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Shaheen demonstrates his melodic ingenuity and his command of genres ranging from traditional Arabic music to jazz and Western classical styles." Duration: 25 min.
