The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) has unveiled a powerful slate of films from the Levant for its 5th edition, running from 4-13 December 2025 in historic Al Balad, Jeddah.
Exploring war, loss and fear, but also celebrating love, hope and personal discovery, these films offer different perspectives from Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon that evoke visceral reactions from viewers.
From Palestine, Palestine 1936, All That’s Left of You and Coyotes explore loss and change, while Yunan is a captivating visual fable that immerses viewers in the consuming frustration of a man who flees to a remote island to contemplate a drastic decision after being haunted by a cryptic family parable.
Jordanian films Sink and Cleanse the Streets tell different family tales with incredible heart.
From Lebanon, Jeem 1983, A Sad and Beautiful World, What If They Bomb Here Tonight?, The Finale and She’s Swimming, each present a compelling perspective on Levantine life.
A special mention, of course, goes to Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab (Tunisia, France, USA), a harrowing portrayal of the young Palestinian girl’s final hours. The screening of the documentary-feature hybrid at RSIFF will be its first in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Featured films and tickets are available on the RSIFF Mobile app on Apple App Store and Google Play and more information about RSIFF 2025, can be found on the festival’s official website: www.redseafilmfest.com.
Films Info:
Countries: Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. By Annemarie Jacir
Palestine 1936 is set in 1936, as rebellion sweeps across Mandate Palestine. Yusuf, caught between his rural home and the charged atmosphere of Jerusalem, longs for peace. But with Jewish immigrants fleeing European fascism, the region is heading fast toward a major collision. The film explores the Palestinian Arab Revolt against the British colonial rule, focusing on the stories of individuals caught in the conflict as well as the human cost of the uprising. It follows the lives of Palestinian farmers, city dwellers and British officers as they confront the conflict, examining the choices and unexpected situations faced by its characters.
Yunan
Countries: Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
By: Ameer Fakher Eldin
The film sees Munir (Georges Khabbaz) flee to a remote island to contemplate a drastic decision after being haunted by a cryptic family parable. There, he encounters the enigmatic Valeska and her rough, loyal son, Karl. With few words exchanged and quiet acts of kindness, suspicion dissolves, easing Munir’s burden and reigniting his desire to live. Much like the prophet Jonah, who was spit out by the sea and then returned to land, Munir finds himself a stranger in the world, struggling with alienation and aborted dreams. As his mother's memory fades, he also struggles to recall a story about a cursed shepherd his mother told him. A captivating visual fable, the film immerses us in Munir's consuming frustration.
Countries: Germany, Greece, Jordan, Cyprus and Palestine. By: Cherien Dabis
This compelling family drama traces three generations of Palestinians from 1948-2022, revealing the profound impacts of the Nakba. The story begins in 1988 with Noor, a man who joins a protest that turns violent in the West Bank. Decades later his mother, Hanan, recounts her son’s story, starting with the 1948 expulsion of his grandfather from Jaffa. Amid the hardship, the family holds on to the hope of returning to their ancestral home. A love story between Hanan and her husband Salim serves as a beacon of light. Through intimate, moving performances, this film explores how trauma and heritage shape the bonds between a grandfather, a father and son, while filled with moments of joy, love and humour.
Countries: Palestine, France, Jordan and the United Kingdom. By: Said Zagha
Coyotes sees a Palestinian surgeon drive home after a long night shift, but little does she know that a commute through a desolate West Bank road will change her forever.
Sink
Countries: Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, France and Estonia. By: Zain Duraie
Sink sees 40-year-old wife and mother of three Nadia struggling with her marriage and a lost sense of self behind the facade of a perfect life, which leaves her emotionally detached. Her one true connection is with her eldest son, Basil, a brilliant but unsociable high school senior. When a violent outburst at school leads to his suspension, Nadia’s world crumbles. On the verge of burnout, she attempts to care for him, but as she battles her own crisis, she's pulled into his undiagnosed mental illness. As his condition spirals, Nadia's struggle to prove that her son is normal intensifies. The film is an intimate look into a powerful maternal bond and a portrait of unconditional love in the face of chaos.
Cleanse The Streets
Country: Jordan. By: Aysha Shahaltough
Cleanse The Streets (Red Sea: New Vision category) is the story of two sisters who are running for their lives. They are driving a blue pickup truck in the middle of nowhere, trying to escape their father's wrath because of what he might do to them after they faced a daunting incident. However, they must confront a much darker truth that no distance can outrun. And can they ever truly go home?
Jeem 1983
Country: Lebanon. By: Jorj Abou Mhaya
Jeem 1983 is set in its titular year in war-torn Beirut and follows a seven-year-old boy as he wanders through his city during the Lebanese Civil War. With the help of a superhero from his imagination, Jeem brings a ceasefire to his shattered city, befriends other children and mocks armed militiamen. But as the ceasefire collapses, he must return home and face his deepest fear. Through Jeem's eyes, we witness the heavy toll of war on children and how a child's imagination becomes an act of resistance.
A Sad and Beautiful World
Countries: Lebanon, America, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. By: Cyril Aris
The film follows Nino and Yasmina - born during a tragic massacre in Beirut - who are cosmically bound from childhood. Through shared hardships — Nino’s loss of his parents and Yasmina’s parents’ divorce — they forge an unbreakable bond. Yasmina, dreaming of escape, proposes a magical train ride to a remote island. Nino agrees, but their plan is shattered when she moves away. Fate reunites them 24 years later, and despite her cynical view of Beirut and life, Yasmina is captivated by Nino’s optimism. She falls in love, abandoning her emigration plans, and is swept away by their connection. This is a powerful tale of longing, love and destiny, portrayed by performances that remind us of the beauty of life when viewed through love's lens.
What If They Bomb Here Tonight?
Country: Lebanon. By: Samir Syriani
What If They Bomb Here Tonight? tells the story of Samir & Nadine, a Lebanese couple, who endure a sleepless night, gripped by the fear that an Israeli airstrike could shatter the glass walls of their home. With their children nearby, they struggle with an impossible choice: remain and risk their safety, or leave behind the life they’ve worked so hard to build.
The Finale
Country: Lebanon. By: Rodolphe Chedid
In a secluded Lebanese village, Amal and Naeem, married for 50 years, find their peaceful life marked by the absence of their children, who left during the war more than three decades ago in The Finale. Feeling a profound void, Amal seeks to rekindle their connection and rediscover meaning by asking Naeem to write their life story. He reluctantly agrees, and they embark on an intimate journey through forgotten memories and unspoken truths. As they revisit their past, they confront the love they’ve built and the questions that have shaped their lives. Filmed with a unique and original cinematic language, this love story is a powerful testament to how film can beautifully convey emotions, memories and the intimate details that make life extraordinary.
She’s Swimming
Country: Lebanon. By: Liliane Rahal
Following a plane crash that claimed the life of her cousin, the filmmaker undertakes a personal odyssey in search of closure. The tragedy is revisited through the mourning mother who takes us through her stages of grief. With impressionist visuals portraying nature’s cycles, the film is an invitation to contemplate the human response when faced with loss and disappearance.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Countries: Tunisia, France & USA. By: Kaouther Ben Hania
The Voice of Hind Rajab is an emotional and innovative hybrid of documentary and drama that recounts the heart-wrenching story of a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed during the Israel-Gaza war. In January 2024, Hind was trapped for hours in a car after it came under fire, squeezed between the bodies of her aunt, uncle and cousins, leaving her the sole survivor. For hours she remained in contact with Red Crescent volunteers, who navigated a maze of military and governmental approvals in an attempt to reach her. The film transcends traditional cinema, becoming a powerful act of resistance and a vital work of memory. Ben Hania delivers a haunting testament to the tragic reality of war, resonating with audiences long after the credits roll.
