Muhammad Bakri Movies
- 1997
An orphan raised on the dubious kindness of his neighbors, Mabruq is considered the village idiot, tolerated, but not loved. He is secretly in love with Jamilah, a young woman held in similar regard because she has not spoken since witnessing a traumatic event as a child. All business in the village is controlled by a tyrannical muktahr, while the region is controlled by Israeli soldiers. The corrupt village leader does all he can to keep the Israelis pleased so when they announce that someone has been counterfeiting work permits, the muktahr is quick to find someone to blame. The leader's friend and handyman Mahmmud disagrees with the muktahr's scapegoat tactics and so decides to do his own investigation to find the real crook. This ultimately leads to the mysterious death of the muktahr's son. Mahmmud is blamed for the death and escapes from town. Poor Mabruq, who felt that Mahmmud was his only friend, is devastated. Meanwhile the muktahr, seeing that his seething villagers may take actions that could destroy peace, is forced to make a difficult decision. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Muhammad Bakri, Suheil Haddad, (more)
- 1996
Set in Palestine just before the signing of the peace accord between PLO leader Arafat and Israel's prime minister Rabin, this drama chronicles the ways in which the formal agreement affects the lives of Palestinians living in a tiny, unnamed village on the Gaza Strip. Main characters include the always upbeat former policeman Abu Said, currently a cotton candy vendor and his two cynical sons Siad, who had just been arrested by Israelis for no real reason, and the unemployed Said. Oum Said is the mother and she wants her boys to live peacefully and begin raising families and stop this nonsense about politics. Meanwhile beautiful young woman Sabah dreams of her future. Finally there is the town eccentric, Haifa who wanders about. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Although it claims to be "suggested by an Edgar Allen Poe" story, this British production is basically a remake of Karl Freund's 1932 The Mummy -- but with nude shower scenes. Tony Curtis, in the Boris Karloff role, becomes obsessed with a young blonde woman whom he believes to be the reincarnated spirit of an Egyptian princess. She begins having nightmares, hallucinations, and starts hearing voices, while people around her suddenly start turning up brutally murdered. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
An ambitious female reporter finds herself unable to remain an objective, third party observer while covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this made for television war drama starring Faye Dunaway. Upon arriving Israel on her first foreign assignment, American photojournalist Faye Milano is greeted by David (Amos Kollek), an Israeli reserve officer and writer is also the nephew of Jerusalem Mayor Kollek. Later, while conducting a series of interviews with actual political representatives on both sides of the issue, Faye discovers the identity of David's uncle and skillfully manipulates him into getting her an interview with the mayor. The resulting story, which runs with a photograph of an Israeli police officer clubbing a young Palestinian girl, raises the ire of authorities - who deplore the reporter's penchant sensationalizing the details and seldom bothering to confirm the facts. When Faye learns that a young Palestinian boy was recently shot after hurling a brick at an Israeli soldier, she travels to Jerusalem in order to meet with Mustafa (Mohammad Bakri), the dead boy's brother. As tensions begin to thicken and Mustafa is arrested, Faye snaps a candid shot of the boy being taken into custody. Faye's press credentials are subsequently revoked, however, when the arresting officer is discovered with his throat slashed and the authorities place the blame for the killing on her photograph, which clearly shows the arresting officer's face. After submitting a story about an injured Palestinian boy who had actually suffered from a household accident and not in the conflict as she read leaders to believe, the inexperienced reporter finds that she has unexpectedly gotten in far over her head. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Faye Dunaway, Amos Kollek, (more)
- 1991
Marlo Thomas stars as Lucille "Sis" Levin, whose husband Jerry (David Dukes) is an American TV journalist assigned to Beirut in 1984. Jerry is kidnapped by Muslim fundamentalists, a fact kept off the front pages by the State Department, ostensibly because the publicity could cost Jerry his life. Sis doesn't accept this (she suspects that our government doesn't want to offend the Lebanese government), and arranges on her own to communicate with her husband's captors. Israel stands in for Lebanon for the on-location scenes in Held Hostage: The Sis and Jerry Levin Story. This fact-based TV movie is wholly credible in every aspect save Marlo Thomas' uncertain Southern accent. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Originally titled G'mar Giviya, the Israeli Cup Final takes place in 1982, at the time of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Soldier Moshe Ivgi is far more concerned with the outcome of the World Cup soccer tournament than he is with the invasion. Captured by the PLO, Ivgi finds a kindred spirit in the form of his sports-nut captor, Muhamad Bacri. The subsequent prisoner-jailer relationship, which endures throughout a perilous journey through war-torn Lebanon, manages to transcend all racial and political barriers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Muhammad Bakri, Salim Dau, (more)
In this actioner, a battle-hardened Marine sergeant finds himself faced with single-handedly rescuing his former colonel from Middle Eastern terrorist abductors. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Fred Dryer, Brian Keith, (more)
- 1984
Set in an Israeli maximum security prison, Beyond the Walls (Meachori Hasoragim) focusses on an ethnic "war" between rival prisoners. The opposing factions are headed by Israeli Arnon Zadok and Arab Muhamad Bakri. Insults beget violence, and before long the entire prison threatens to erupt in an orgy of bloodshed. What finally cools the tensions is so simple and touching that to reveal it here would spoil it for you. Suffice to say that the rival gangs decide to organize a united front against the cruelties of their captors. Beyond the Walls was nominated for a Best Foreign Picture Academy Award. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arnon Zadok, Assi Dayan, (more)
- 1984
Director Yehuda Ne'eman has put together a film about a former Israeli paratrooper in West Germany who leaves for home carrying $250,000 to help found a new Arab university. The glitch in his plans for delivering the gift comes when his Arab companions insist that the money has to be spent on guns -- and he refuses to give it to them. This puts him in jeopardy with both the Arab and the Israeli extremists and garners no support for his middle-of-the-road approach. As it happens, this drama was filmed during the summer of 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon and bombed West Beirut. The actors and crew were not disinterested parties, and either because of the politics involved or for casting against type, the performances are unconvincing even though the subject itself is strong. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gidi Gov, Yossi Polak, (more)
