Adventure and abduction
Theeb (out of 4) Starring Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat and Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen. Directed by Naji Abu Nowar. 100 minutes. Opens Friday at TIFF Bell Lightbox. PG
Theeb (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat), a young Bedouin boy living in an Ottoman province, is full of curiosity and more than a little stubborn. He idealizes his older brother Hussein (Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen) so it’s natural he will sneak along when Hussein is asked to guide a mysterious British soldier to a secluded spot along a dangerous route during the First World War.
Gorgeously shot in Jordan’s Wadi Rum by cinematographer Wolfgang Thaler, writer-director Naji Abu Nowar crafts something more than a coming-of-age story as Theeb, whose name means “wolf,” finds deception and death in the desert among revolutionaries, bandits and opportunists. Abu Nowar wisely relies on naturalistic work, especially from untrained actor Al-Hwietat whose teasing bond with his brother (they are real-life cousins) is among the film’s delights, which include nods to classic westerns and David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia. Linda Barnard
Difret (out of 4) Starring Meron Getnet and Tizita Hagere. Written and directed by Zeresenay Mehari. 99 minutes. Opens Friday at the Carlton. PG
Based on the 1996 true story of a 14-year-old Ethiopian girl, Hirut (Tizita Hagere) is abducted for forced marriage on her way home from school — then legal — and raped in Difret. Fatally shooting her wouldbe husband as he tries to stop her escape sees Hirut facing death.
Writer-director Zeresenay Mehari’s drama about the landmark court case that ended child bride kidnapping in Ethiopia is hardly a sophisticated film. But that can’t diminish the importance of its message.
Atribal gathering decides Hirut will be banished from her home and separated from her family, while the court may impose a much harsher sentence. Women’s free legal clinic lawyer Meaza Ashenafi (Meron Getnet) takes Hirut’s case. With Angelina Jolie as executive producer and festival prizes at Sundance and Berlin, Difret has plenty of support, although it is often undone by a poorly executed script and obvious storytelling. Linda Barnard