AMMAN — The
New York Times has listed the Jordanian film “The Alleys”, directed by Basil
Ghandour, as one of this month’s recommended international films for streaming
on digital platforms.
اضافة اعلان
“Set on the gritty,
mazelike streets of East Amman… Ghandour’s thriller moves and turns like a
kaleidoscope: In each of its four chapters, characters shuffle about and meet
in new configurations, heroes becoming villains and villains becoming victims,”
writes the Times.
“Every twist in
this movie is unpredictable, because every character is both morally dubious
and somewhat idiotic”.
Top-ten
Netflix hitSince its launch on
Netflix at the beginning of the year, “The Alleys” was featured on the list of
most-watched titles in Jordan for seven consecutive weeks — usually in first
place.
It also entered
Netflix’s top-ten lists for Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, and was one of the
most-searched queries on Google in Arab countries for several days.
Global
recognitionThe film has had a
successful screening journey, whether at festivals or commercially, in more
than 20 countries around the world. It was launched commercially in four Arab
countries — Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — and won the Audience
Award and a special mention at the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden.
The film also took
the Grand Jury Prize at the Annonay International Film Festival in France and
was nominated for four awards by the Arab Film Center on the sidelines of the
Cannes Festival.
The film has also
received critical acclaim and praise from international critics and websites.
Screen Daily news website writes: “As Ghandour’s screenplay follows the
colorful inhabitants through the tumultuous highs and lows of their daily
lives, ‘The Alleys’ is by turns dark comedy, mystery thriller and crime drama.”
“Thanks to
Ghandour’s careful oversight of the material, these myriad threads just about
knit together to create a satisfying whole.”
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