The rise of quality in the entries of this list becomes evident every year, with movies from countries such as Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan finding a number of way outs through festivals and streamers, winning awards all over. Of course, Iran still heads the region, as its biggest movie industry, but the biggest surprise this year came from Sri Lanka, which produced three films of true quality.
Without further ado, here are the best West-Central Asian (rest of Asia one could say) films of 2023, in random order. Some films may have premiered in 2022, but since they mostly circulated in 2023, we decided to include them.
20. Under the Sky of Damascus by Heba Khaled, Talal Derki, Ali Wajeeh (Syria)
“Under the Sky of Damascus” is a great documentary, a testament to the quality and the impact of the medium, and a movie that truly deserved the International Competition Golden Alexander award it won in Thessaloniki, which also secured its place in the selection shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
19. The Future by Noam Kaplan (Israel)
As we approach a state of near full transparency given the fast progress on the field of digitization as well as the advancement in technology, most of us have become predictable. Even though we still cling on to humanist ideals and individualism, the truth is not that we define algorithms and programs, but actually that it is the other way round. While these ideas are seemingly better suited in the realms of science-fiction, writer and director Noam Kaplan transports them into a whole different context. In the case of his new feature “The Future”, these and many other themes lay the foundation for a tense drama about terrorism, security and individuality. (Rouven Linnarz)
18. The Persian Version by Maryam Keshavarz (Iran, USA)
Maryam Keshavarz‘s sophomore feature, “The Persian Version,” premiered with pizzazz at Sundance this year. In-person screenings – even those starting at eight in the morning! – saw packed theaters, inviting audiences to laugh (and cry) each time. In this ode to the director's own family, Keshavarz maps out the relational entanglements of a lesbian, Iranian American woman (played by fresh faces Layla Mohammadi and Chiara Stella) born to a household of seven boys, who — by some off-chance one-night-stand — becomes pregnant. In this heartfelt mother-daughter tale, Keshavarz invites her audiences on a rollercoaster of tenderness and tough love that spans from New York City to a village in Iran. (Grace Han)
17. The Siren by Sepideh Farsi (Iran)
Animation permits a departure from the limitations of the live-action image. In case of a film based on, or inspired by, real events, it allows the director to create new worlds, to fantasise, and to speculate on the realities they embark on depicting. Farsi makes scarce use of these possibilities, but when she does, the movie gets elevated to a different stratosphere: one in which Omid is not only having to cope with violence and hunger, but also has to navigate through an existential labyrinth. Suddenly located in the world where there are no guides or role models left, he has to create a new microcosm for himself. (Olek Młyński)
16. Foreigners Only by Nuhash Humayun (Bangladesh)
Mostafa Monwar has emerged as one of the most prominent talents of Bangladeshi cinema, and he proves it here as Hasan once more, with his inner struggle, frustration, and resolve all being excellent portrayed, even if with a slight pinch of excessiveness. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
15. King Khat by Uri Marantz (Israel)
Uri Marantz unusual documentary (and he will fight you about precisely that cathegory with his life) is one of the most original movies of 2023. We hope that it will travel the world. (Marina D. Richter)
14. Wakhri by Iram Parveen Bilal (Pakistan)
Inspired by the story of social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered by her brother in 2016 for what he deemed bringing dishonor on her family through online posts that would be considered mild by Western standards, “Wakhri” is a film that leans on its impressive visuals in order to make it rather pointed comments. It is also worth mentioning that it has just passed government censors in Pakistan, and will be released in the country starting January. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
13. The Vanishing Soldier by Dani Rosenberg (Israel)
Countless films have been made around the premise of people making a decision that turns out to be wrong, which further triggers a chain reaction of events. But when the army, especially Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is involved, the usual SNAFU (Situation Normal All F***ed Up) quickly goes to FUBAR (F***ed Up Beyond All Repair). That would, in short, be the case with Dani Rosenberg‘s (of 2020 dramedy “The Death of Cinema and My Father Too” fame) “The Vanishing Soldier” that has just premiered at the main competition of Locarno. (Marko Stojiljković)
12. Mandoob by Ali Kalthami (Saudi Arabia)
Probably the best aspect of Ali Kalthami's direction is the overall neo-noir atmosphere he creates, where danger seems to lurk all over the place, either deriving from the criminal underbelly Fahad eventually stumbles upon or his own mental instability which frequently makes him violent and unreasonable, and has him constantly lying. This last aspect in particular is excellently implemented throughout the story, creating a very appealing sense of disorientation about what is actually happening, and even more, what will happen next, and also manages to cover some of the plot holes here and there, in a way that ends up being quite entertaining. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
11. Hiding Saddam Hussein by Halkawt Mustafa (Iraq)
“Hiding Saddam Hussein” is an excellent film that manages to go much beyond the limits of the documentary, particularly due to its “protagonist” performance, all the while retaining the informational quintessence of the medium. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
The article continues on the next page
