The next Arabic-language Netflix Original is coming in just three weeks, and it’s centered on modern love.
Love, Life and Everything in Between is an anthology series made up of eight short films by some of the best Arab filmmakers working today from six different countries, including multiple past Academy Award nominees.
Those names include Hany Abu Assad, the Palestinian filmmaker behind Paradise Now (2005) and Omar (2013), as well as his latest Huda’s Salon (2021). Also helming a film is Kaouther Ben Hania, the 2020 Oscar nominee behind The Man Who Sold His Skin.
Here’s the full list of names: Khairy Beshara (Egypt); Sandra Bassal (Egypt); co-directors: Hany Abu Assad and Amira Diab (Palestine); Michel Kammoun (Lebanon); Mahmoud Sabbagh (Saudi Arabia); Abdulmohsen AlDhabaan (Saudi Arabia); Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia) and Hicham Lasri (Morocco).
Netflix’s Arab romance anthology series: A closer look
Each of the films is set on Valentine’s Day, with each director telling their own story of love influenced by how romance operates in their own country, and from their own point of view.
“The events of each story take place on Valentine’s Day, a time that challenges lead characters to express love, understand it and live it within unique situations that come with unexpected twists and turns. Audiences are captivated by relatable emotions, familiar settings and the unmatched talents of actors and directors alike,” says a release from Netflix.
Palestinian directors Hany Abu Assad and Amira Diab co-directed the episode entitled Kazoz, set in the midst of two seemingly “antithetical” occasions, weddings and funerals.
“A wedding celebrates the future, a funeral commemorates the past. But in reality, both serve the present and address an existential need to socialize. KAZOZ is the celebration of grieving together in loss, and dancing together in joy,” they said.
Ben Hania centered her around the commercial aspects of the holiday.
“Valentine’s Day is a holiday that requires spending, and money is bound to be the quintessential proof of love. Penniless, our hero must find a way to buy a gift for his wife,” says Ben Hania.
In “Baby Doll and Lamb Chops”, the award-winning director takes us on a journey with the owner of a slaughterhouse who is in the middle of a financial crisis and how he struggles to make ends meet, almost driving himself crazy to give his wife the perfect Valentine’s, according to Netflix.
In his film, Lebanese Director Michel Kammoun uses symbolism to narrate how desirable the idea of falling in love is through a rollercoaster adventure the lead character, Sami, goes on while trying to deliver a Valentine’s Day gift to one of his clients, according to Netflix.
“There’s no simple answer, only subjective views and shared stories of what love is. That’s what I wanted to create in “The Big Red Heart”, an untamable huge and out-of-this-world stuffed Valentine gift that becomes the alter ego of love itself. The metaphor of love in all its grandeur,” says Kammoun.
Moroccan Director Hicham Lasri says, “My film, Sidi Valentin, adopts the codes of black comedy to ironically play with this idea of a world that has accommodated itself to clandestinity that St Valentine’s Day tints with red.”
Produced by Union of Video & Filmmakers (Project Producer: Antoine Khalife). The show will be available in 190 countries on Netflix, subbed in 33 languages, and dubbed to 5 languages.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Romance, drama and dark humor intertwine in this anthology series developed by Egyptian screenwriter Azza Shalaby exploring love at large and relationships up close with stories from Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia. The diverse, genre-spanning collection features eight short films by directors Khairy Beshara, Kaouther Ben Hania, Hany Abu-Assad, Amira Diab, Michel Kammoun, Mahmoud Sabbagh, Sandra Bassal, Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan and Hicham Lasri.
The full episode list
National Day of Mourning in Mexico
Written by: Nura ElSheikh
Directed by: Khairy Beshara
Main Cast: Asser Yassin – Nadah El Shazly – Aly Sobhy – Nura Cheichaa
The Big Red Heart
Main Cast: Elie Njeim – Fadi Abi Samra – Rita Hayek – Alain Saadeh – Mohamad Akil – Issam Bou Khaled
Written & Directed by: Michel Kammoun
Episode # Sidi Valentin
Written & directed by: Hicham Lasri
Main Cast: Lotfi – Nasser Akabab – Fatima Zahraa Quanboua – Gourbatchev
Kazoz
Written by: Amira Diab
Directed by: Amira Diab – Hany Abu Assad
Main Cast: Amer Hlehel – Shaden Kanboura – Samer Bisharat – Samah Mahmoud – Manal Awad
Glitch Love
Written & Directed by: Mahmoud Sabbagh
Main Cast: Dhay AlHelaly – Sami Hanafy – Oum Kalthoum Sara Brad – Ismail AlHassan
Al-A’sha
Written by: Mohamed AlHamoud – Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan
Directed by: Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan
Main Cast: Mishal AlMutairi – Reem Habib
Baby doll & Lamb chops
Written & directed by: Kaouther Ben Hania
Main Cast: Abdelhamid Bouchnak – Mourad Gharsalli – Nadim Cheikhrouha – Anissa Daoud – Fatma Felhi – Hela Ayed -Jihed Cherni – Slym Achour
O’Brother
Directed by: Sandra Bassal
Written by: Rafik Morkos
Main Cast : Ahmed Ezz- Passant Shawky- Salah Abdallah- Adham Hossam