THEEB

For a time I actually thought this extraordinary film from the United Arab Emirates might win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, (the Academy have always been partial to foreign films featuring children in leading roles), until I realised that the film's very simplicity, not to mention its 'exoticism', would almost certainly rule it out. Nevertheless it would have been a worthy winner, (it did win a BAFTA for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer).

It's set in the Ottoman province of Hijaz during the First World War and deals with a child's rite of passage as he embarks on a perilous journey, together with his older brother, to guide an English officer across the desert and through enemy territory. The boy, Theeb, is beautifully played by Jacir Eid Al Hwietat. Indeed this is one of the great performances by a child in the movies and this is one of the great films about childhood since everything is seen through Theeb's eyes. However, unlike a film made in the West, there is not a trace of sentimentality to be found, Visually superb it may be but this is a harsh picture of a harsh way of life and with this film alone, director Naji Abu Nowar has already earned his place in the annals of world cinema. See this at all costs.