What to Watch in North Africa This October
October pulls you into the stories of chefs, cops and aliens in North Africa.
This month’s streaming and cinema recommendations are an experimental mix of magical realism in the Egyptian desert, Moroccan surrealism and sci-fi, as well as a thriller investigation taking you to the dark corners of the Tunisian capital. As always, heavier topics are balanced out by romantic comedies and much Egyptian humor.
Here’s what to watch in North Africa this October:
‘Finding Ola’ (Egypt)
The long-awaited second season of Egyptian hit show Finding Ola has finally returned to Netflix. The six-episode series, directed by Hadi El Bagoury, continues to follow Hend Sabry starring as Ola Abdelsabour, a single mother who faces new challenges with resilience and determination. While she embarked on a journey of self-discovery after a life-altering event in season one, Ola is now opening herself up to romance and all the comedic drama that comes with that.
Where to watch: Netflix
‘Animalia’ (Morocco)
Moroccan French filmmaker Sofia Alaoui’s feature directorial debut Animalia is based on her short film, So What If The Goats Die, and invites us to spend more time in a Morocco that is descending into chaos upon witnessing extraterrestrial occurrences. The film, which Alaoui describes as “supernatural with sci-fi elements,” follows Itto, played by Oumaïma Barid, a pregnant woman who attempts to reunite with her husband Amine, played by Mehdi Dehbi, and evolves from a spoilt rich girl to an independent woman. Animalia premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2023.
Where to watch: Moroccan cinemas
‘The Goat’ (Egypt)
Acclaimed Italian director Ilaraia Borreli’s feature film The Goat won five awards from different international film festivals, and has been predicted to “make a profound impact on the Egyptian film landscape.” Filmed entirely in the western Oasis of Siwa, this desert adventure follows Hadiya, played by Jessica Hosameldin, a pregnant orphan who becomes the target of a Western corporation’s greed as they seek to control the only water source in her village. In search of her father, Hadiya flees into the desert with her loyal goat.
Where to watch: Egyptian cinemas
‘Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation’ (Tunisia)
In the Gardens of Carthage, a Tunis district where construction halted at the start of the revolution after being initiated by the former regime, police officers Fatma and Batal, played by Fatma Oussaifi and Mohamed Grayaâ respectively, discover a burnt body in one of the lots. As construction slowly resumes, they start looking into this mysterious case. When the event repeats itself, the investigation takes a puzzling turn. Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation is directed by Tunisian musician and filmmaker Youssef Chebbi.
Where to watch: Prime Video
‘Mat’am El Habayeb’ ('The Lovers Restaurant') (Egypt)
In this delicious kitchen drama and romantic comedy, Chef Abu El Magd reopens his family's restaurant with the hesitant help of his daughter Didi, a renowned blogger played by Huda El Mufti. But a magical book in the pantry soon pulls her into a fierce fight to protect the restaurant from its rivals in the neighborhood. And of course, there’s a love story that unfolds between Didi and her co-star Ahmed Malek. It is directed by Essam Abdelhamid with the script written by Mariam Naoum.
Where to watch: Shahid
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