Eight Arabic language feature films were submitted to the 93rd Academy Awards competition. Tunisia’s submission, The Man Who Sold His Skin by Kaouther Ben Hania, made the final round of nominations for Best International Feature Film. And Palestinian short film, The Present by Farah Nabulsi was competing for Best Live Action Short Film.

We had hoped to watch all of 2020’s Arabic language submissions before the awards but, unfortunately, many are not yet available to stream. Below we have the trailer for each submission and a short plot summary. For the movies we were able to watch, we’ve included links to the full Fi Kalam reviews and vocabulary lists. We’ll update this post with new links if and when the rest of the movies become available.

Best International Feature Film Nominee (Tunisia): The Man Who Sold His Skin / الرجل الذي باع ظهره

The Man Who Sold His Skin by Kaouther Ben Hania is a dark satire that highlights the injustices of the immigration system. After fleeing Syria, Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) trades his back to tattoo artist, Jeffrey Godefroy (Koen De Bouw), and his manager, Soraya (Monica Bellucci). In exchange, Sam is granted a visa to Brussels, where his girlfriend is living...with her husband. It is the first Tunisian nominee for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.

Read more in our full review of The Man Who Sold His Skin.

Best Live Action Short Film Nominee (Palestine): The Present / الهدية

The Present (الهدية) is a short film about a man (Saleh Bakri) trying to get an anniversary gift for his wife in Bethlehem. This seemingly simple errand is complicated by an Israeli checkpoint between the family’s home and the stores. The Present was co-written by Farah Nabulsi and Hind Shoufani and directed by Nabulsi. It is available on Netflix worldwide.

Read more in our full review of The Present.

Algeria’s submission: Heliopolis / هليوبوليس

Heliopolis is a film about French colonialism in Algeria and the demonstrations against it that took place on May 8, 1945. It focuses on the Zianis, a wealthy family in the city of Heliopolis, and the impact these events have on them. The movie was written by Salah Eddine Chihani, Kahina Mohamed Oussaid, and Djafar Gacem and was directed by Gacem. Wider release of the film has been delayed due to COVID.

Egypt’s submission: When We’re Born / لما بنتولد

When We’re Born is a coming-of-age narrative film with numerous musical features. There are three main characters: a young man (played by Amir Eid, the lead singer of the band Cairokee) who wants to be a musician but his father disapproves, a Coptic Christian who falls in love with a Muslim, and a personal trainer who must decide how much to sacrifice to achieve his dream of opening a gym. When We’re Born was co-written by Tamer Ezzat and Nadine Shams and is based on Ezzat’s 2006 film, The Place I Call Home.

Jordan’s submission: 200 Meters / ٢٠٠ متر

200 Meters follows the life of Mustafa (Ali Suliman) and his family. Mustafa lives in Palestine while his wife and kids, who have Israeli residency permits, live 200 meters away across the border wall. When a family emergency occurs, Mustafa must seek alternate means of crossing the border to reach his son, Majd. The movie focuses on his suspenseful journey and a collection of characters he meets along the way. 200 Meters was written and directed by Ameen Nayfeh.

Read more in our full review of 200 Meters.

Lebanon’s submission: Broken Keys 

Karim, a young musician, goes on a dangerous mission to repair his piano after it’s destroyed by ISIS. Broken Keys was written and directed by Jimmy Keyrouz and is an expansion on his 2016 short film, Nocturne in Black.

Read more in our full review of Nocturne in Black

Palestine’s submission: Gaza Mon Amour

Issa, a 60-year old fisherman in Gaza, is in love with Siham but has never mustered the courage to tell her. When he finds a strange statue of a Greek god in his fishing net one day, he is inspired to change his ways. Gaza Mon Amour was written and directed by twins Tarzan and Arab Nasser and stars Haim Abbas..

Watch Gaza Mon Amour

Saudi Arabia’s submission: Scales

Scales is a fantastical and dystopian film that explores the role of women in society. The movie is set in a village where all families must sacrifice a daughter to the sea creatures that live in the surrounding waters. Hayat, a young, strong-willed girl, has managed to escape her fate so far. When her mother births a son, however, her time runs out. Scales was written and directed by Shahad Ameen.

Scales is available on Netflix in some regions.

Sudan’s submission: You Will Die at Twenty / ستموت في العشرين

During Muzamil’s naming ceremony, the Daraweesh delivers a prophecy that he will die at the age of twenty. The film follows Muzamil through his childhood and teen years as he struggles with the prophecy and its implications. You Will Die at Twenty was written by Amjad Abu Alala and Yousef Ibrahim and was directed by Abu Alala. It is Sudan’s first Oscar submission.

Read more in our full review of You Will Die at Twenty