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''Theeb'' ( ar, ذيب ''dhīb'' , "wolf") is a 2014 internationally co-produced
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
thriller film written and directed by
Naji Abu Nowar Naji Abu Nowar ( ar, ناجي أبو نوار; born 1981) is a British-Jordanian film director, writer and producer. Best known for his works ''Death of a Boxer'' (2009), ''Till Death'' (2012) and ''Theeb'' (2014) for which he received wide spre ...
. It is a coming-of-age story about a
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
boy, Theeb, who must survive in the wide-open
Wadi Rum Wadi Rum ( ar, وادي رم ''Wādī Ramm'', also ''Wādī al-Ramm''), known also as the Valley of the Moon ( ar, وادي القمر ''Wādī al-Qamar''), is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan, about to the east ...
desert. The film takes place during the Middle Eastern theatre of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, in the wake of the
Great Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On t ...
against the ruling
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. The film used non-professional actors from the Bedouin community in southern Jordan, and is considered a "Bedouin
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
". It has also been described as a
coming-of-age film Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
. ''Theeb'' is an
international co-production A co-production is a joint venture between two or more different production companies for the purpose of film production, television production, video game development, and so on. In the case of an international co-production, production companies ...
between
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
. The film premiered in the Horizons section at the 71st Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2014, where Abu Nowar won the award for Best Director. It was nominated for the
Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the
88th Academy Awards The 88th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2015 and took place on February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, 5:30 p.m. PST. Du ...
, making it the first Jordanian nomination ever. At the
69th British Academy Film Awards The 69th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 14 February 2016 at the Royal Opera House in London, honouring the best national and foreign films of 2015. Presented by the British Academy of Film and Televis ...
, ''Theeb'' was nominated for
Best Film Not in the English Language The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, r ...
, where Naji Abu Nowar and Rupert Lloyd won the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.


Plot

It is 1916. Recently orphaned brothers Hussein and Theeb, the second and third sons of a
Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
sheik of the
Howeitat The Howeitat or Huwaitat ( ar, الحويطات ''al-Ḥuwayṭāt'', Northwest Arabian Arabic, Northwest Arabian dialect: ''ál-Ḥwēṭāt'') are a large Banu Judham, Judhami tribe, that inhabits areas of present-day southern Jordan, the Sinai P ...
tribe, come from a family of
pilgrim A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...
guides, and are accustomed to a nomadic lifestyle. One night, their camp is visited by Edward, a British officer, and an Arab named Marji. Custom requires that a goat be slaughtered for the visitors but Theeb, still a boy, has great difficulty bringing himself to do it. The officer is carrying a wooden box, rumoured to contain gold, which raises Theeb's curiosity. Hussein is asked to guide them to a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
well A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
lying on the pilgrims' trail, next to the strategic Ottoman railway. Men at the camp warn that the trail is rife with bandits. Theeb wants to join, but his brother insists on leaving him behind. The next day as the group leaves, the boy disobeys his brother and follows them and manages to catch up after a day's walk. Despite objections from Hussein and Marji concerning Theeb's presence and fear for his safety, Edward is adamant on continuing their travel immediately, so Theeb stays with the group. After they reach the well, they discover that it is contaminated by blood from slaughtered bodies thrown into it. The group then notice that they are being watched by a group of men in the distance. They quickly escape, but Edward insists that they continue. Hussein leads them to another nearby well in a canyon, where they are ambushed. Edward and Marji are suddenly shot dead from a distance. Hussein and Theeb hide from the raiders; when night falls, another engagement with the raiders leaves Hussein dead. While trying to escape, Theeb trips and falls into the well. A raider cuts the water bag rope. Theeb manages to climb up the next day, and finds himself stranded in the desert. The boy weeps for his murdered brother and buries him in the sand. Theeb spends the day wandering around the canyon, and eventually notices a camel heading towards him from the distance. He approaches the camel, and finds an unconscious man collapsed on top. The next day, Theeb wakes up to see the man staring at him. He is Hassan, a gravely injured mercenary who is one of the perpetrators of the ambush. Theeb is too small to get the camel to obey him, and Hassan is too injured to move. They are initially aggressive and hostile, but soon realise that they need each other's help to survive. Theeb spends some time with Hassan, feeding and healing him. Hassan asks Theeb not to betray him, considering how he let Theeb eat with him. The next day, the pair mount the camel and head towards an Ottoman rail station. They bump into Arab revolutionaries who ask Hassan questions regarding his modern Western belongings – they are looking for the British officer, who had coordinated an attack with them against the Ottomans on the Hejaz railway. Allowed to pass, the two continue towards the rail station. On their way there, they pass by a part of the railway where dozens of dead Arab revolutionaries lie. They had been waiting for the British officer, with his wooden box detonator, which was intended to blow up the railway. At the station, Hassan sells the Englishman's belongings to an Ottoman officer in exchange for silver. The officer offers Theeb a coin as well; however, Theeb refuses to take it, realizing that Hassan was being paid money for items he stole after killing his brother. Young Theeb waits outside the station and shoots Hassan dead. The Ottoman officer lets the boy go after Theeb tells him Hassan had killed his brother. Theeb, now able to get the camel to obey him, rides off into the desert alone.


Cast

* Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat as Theeb * Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen as Hussein * Hassan Mutlag Al-Maraiyeh as The Stranger * Jack Fox as Edward * Marji Audeh as The Guide


Production


Development

Bassel Ghandour wrote the script and shared it with Naji Abu Nowar with the idea to do a short film. Abu Nowar reverted and suggested this be a feature film, and from there the story begins. While preparing to do the film, Ghandour, Abu Nowar, and producer Rupert Lloyd spent a year in the desert living in Shakrieh village with the local community, learning the Bedouin lifestyle. Initially, the filmmakers planned to have women characters involved. This was hindered by the fact that they wanted to use non-professional actors and found no women from the Bedouin communities willing to act in a film. They considered bringing professional actresses but they did not know the Bedouin dialect, so the film would have lost some of its authenticity. Jack Fox as the British officer was the only professional actor involved; the Bedouins had never participated in any type of acting. Several workshops took place to prepare the Bedouin actors for the film, who were chosen by auditions. When Abu Nowar found Jacir, the actor playing Theeb, he did not like him as an actor. He added "as he was so shy and quiet and I never considered him, but he has this crazy thing that when you put him on camera he a different person. Immediately it became obvious. And so he was the first person we cast and we never looked back or at anyone else." The funding, although inadequate
pinion A pinion is a round gear—usually the smaller of two meshed gears—used in several applications, including drivetrain and rack and pinion systems. Applications Drivetrain Drivetrains usually feature a gear known as the pinion, which may ...
was secured by private sector investors, as well as several institutions;
King Abdullah II Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...
fund for development, Doha film institute, and Abu Dhabi-based Sanad film fund.


Filming

Jordan's filming community had been preoccupied with Kathryn Bigelow’s terrorism drama ''
Zero Dark Thirty ''Zero Dark Thirty'' is a 2012 American thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. The film dramatizes the nearly decade-long international manhunt for Osama bin Laden, leader of terrorist network Al-Qaeda, after the S ...
'' and so filming had to be postponed. The production team filmed in the same area where
David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...
shot ''
Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
'' in the early 1960s; they had to avoid these locations due to heavy tourist activity. Filming took place in three locations; Theeb’s tribal encampment was shot in
Wadi Araba The Arabah, Araba or Aravah ( he, הָעֲרָבָה, ''hāʿĂrāḇā''; ar, وادي عربة, ''Wādī ʿAraba''; lit. "desolate and dry area") is a loosely defined geographic area south of the Dead Sea basin, which forms part of the borde ...
, next to the Israeli military border zone, the pilgrim’s trail was shot in
Wadi Rum Wadi Rum ( ar, وادي رم ''Wādī Ramm'', also ''Wādī al-Ramm''), known also as the Valley of the Moon ( ar, وادي القمر ''Wādī al-Qamar''), is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan, about to the east ...
, and the Ottoman fortress was shot at Qasr Dab'ah about 40 km south-southeast of
Amman Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
. A canyon, where the group in the film are ambushed, took several months to find and required a specific type of geography. It took the team an hour of off-roading to get to the canyon every day. Because that specific filming location was required, plans to organise the shoot as a nomadic unit were impractical. It would have been too costly and too dangerous to camp in the location area, where no cell phone reception reached. Instead, they lived in a nearby tourist desert camp. The camp had running water and a generator but still involved some off-roading and didn’t have phone reception. Among the major difficulties the crew faced during the five-week shoot were sand and heat. In Wadi Rum, they were hit with flash floods, storms, and rain. In Wadi Araba, temperatures routinely surpassed 40 °C. Abu Nowar recalls: “We consistently got stuck in the sand, I can’t count the amount of times the Bedouin had to rescue us.” During post-production, Lloyd realised that a key sequence in which Theeb climbs out of a desert well would have to be reshot, as it was visible that Eid was unable to swim. Abu Nowar spent four months of weekends teaching Eid to swim, before reshooting the entire sequence with a wig to cover his now-shorter hair. Abu Nowar told ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' critic Kate Maltby: "I was doing take after take, desperately hoping it wasn’t going to float off in the water."


Visual effects

Due to the film's low budget, producers turned to students at San Francisco's
Academy of Art University The Academy of Art University (AAU or ART U), formerly Academy of Art College and Richard Stephens Academy of Art, is a private for-profit art school in San Francisco, California. It was founded as the Academy of Advertising Art by Richard S. S ...
to help them with the visual effects.


Release

''Theeb'' premiered in Jordan in Shakiriyah village, where the film originated. The premier was attended by the Bedouin community of the village and by people from all over Jordan. It had its international premiere at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, where Abu Nowar won the award for Best Director in the Horizons category. Following this, the film went on to an outstanding box office run in eleven Arab countries.


Critical response

''Theeb'' received positive reviews, and has been described as "Bedouin-Western" by some critics. On the review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds approval rating, and an average rating of , based on reviews from critics. The website's critical consensus states, "Led by an outstanding performance from Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat in the title role, ''Theeb'' is a startlingly assured first effort from director/co-writer Naji Abu Nowar." On
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has received a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". In his review for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', Jonathan Romney rated the film three out of five stars, calling it "Magnificently shot in Jordan", "Involving rather than totally gripping", and praised its "unimpeachable ring of authenticity". Writing for ''
Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'', Trevor Johnston gave the film four out of five stars. Added that it had "eye-searing landscapes and a fascinating historical setting" he finished his review with "A truly memorable first feature". Jay Weissberg writing for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described ''Theeb'' as " a classic adventure film of the best kind, and one that’s rarely seen these days".
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Americ ...
was in Jordan during the filming phase of '' The Martian'', and was shown the trailer of the movie. He commented "Damn, this was not shot on digital, right? This looks incredible, man. I can't tell you how impressive this is. You guys are doing remarkable things in cinema. I really want to watch it". After ''Theeb'' was nominated for an Oscar,
Queen Noor Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
tweeted, "Alf, alf Mabrouk to all who contributed to TheebFilm for its Oscars2016 nomination! Very proud of you."
Queen Rania Rania Al-Abdullah ( ar, رانيا العبد الله, ; born Rania Al-Yassin, 31 August 1970) is Queen of Jordan as the wife of King Abdullah II. Rania was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. She received her bachelor's degree in busines ...
tweeted "Thrilled about Theeb’s nomination for the Oscars, a Jordanian production shot in the beautiful mountains of Wadi Rum. I hope it wins!" Experts said that ''Theebs success is likely to boost international interest in shooting in Jordan.


Accolades


See also

*
List of submissions to the 88th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of submissions to the 88th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has invited the film industries of various countries to submit their best film for the Academy Award ...
*
List of Jordanian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film Jordan is one of one hundred countries that have submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Their first submission was sent in Fall 2008. The award is handed out annually by the United States Academy of Motion Pictu ...


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Theeb 2014 films 2010s coming-of-age films 2014 thriller drama films 2010s adventure drama films 2014 Western (genre) films 2010s Arabic-language films British coming-of-age films British adventure films British thriller drama films Coming-of-age drama films Films about brothers Films about children Films about orphans Films set in deserts Films set in Jordan Films set in 1916 Films set in the Ottoman Empire Films shot in Jordan Jordanian drama films Murder in films Qatari drama films 2010s survival films British World War I films World War I films set in the Middle East 2014 directorial debut films 2014 drama films Malmö Arab Film Festival winners 2010s British films