
Box office watch: Everything on at Cinema Akil this May
May is the month of madness, and this line-up at Cinema Akil is sure to stay with you long after the credits have rolled. Everyone's favourite independent arthouse cinema and the go-to spot for alternative watching is bringing a curation that's hot like the summer we're in right now – big, bold and bizarre films, from intense dramas to nail-biting thrillers and a mind-bending, mind-boggling sci-fi flick.
Also, two films from the recent Reel Palestine collection are back to the big screen, by popular demand. Revisit the masterpieces that were To a Land Unknown and Thank You for Banking With Us . The program… Monsieur Aznavour (May 13 – May 14) brings to life the extraordinary rise of Charles Aznavour, one of France's most beloved singers and actors. Directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, the film follows his journey from struggling artist to international icon, set against the backdrop of post-war France.
(May 13 – May 14) brings to life the extraordinary rise of Charles Aznavour, one of France's most beloved singers and actors. Directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, the film follows his journey from struggling artist to international icon, set against the backdrop of post-war France. Mickey 17 (May 16 – June 30) by Academy Award-winning Bong Joon Ho , follows a disposable employee sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration perishes, his body is regenerated with most of his memories intact, leading to a dangerous and complex journey of survival and discovery.
(May 16 – June 30) by Academy Award-winning Bong Joon Ho follows a disposable employee sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration perishes, his body is regenerated with most of his memories intact, leading to a dangerous and complex journey of survival and discovery. I am Still Here (May 30 – June 29) directed by Walter Salles, follows a mother who is forced to reinvent herself when her family's life is torn apart by an act of arbitrary violence amid the tightening grip of Brazil's military dictatorship in 1971. From Reel Palestine… Thank You For Banking With Us (May 13 – May 15) is a gripping drama by Laila Abbas, making its return to Cinema Akil after its run at Reel Palestine. The film explores themes of family, inheritance, and resistance, following two sisters who must put aside their differences to fight against Sharia law, which grants their brother double their rightful share of the inheritance.
(May 13 – May 15) is a gripping drama by Laila Abbas, making its return to after its run at Reel Palestine. The film explores themes of family, inheritance, and resistance, following two sisters who must put aside their differences to fight against Sharia law, which grants their brother double their rightful share of the inheritance. To A Land Unknown (May 15 – June 30)which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival at the Director's Fortnight, tells the powerful story of two young men willing to risk everything for a brighter future. Trapped in the struggles of Athens, they hatch a dangerous plan to escape their grim reality, setting the stage for a tense journey of survival and hope.
For the full schedule, visit cinemaakil.com
@cinemaakil
Images: Supplied
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The National
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- The National
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The National
5 days ago
- The National
What makes a great plane movie? Best films to watch on Emirates and Etihad while flying this summer
Many have said it: 'I'll watch it on a plane.' Whether it's a recommendation from a friend or a something we missed in cinemas, a long-haul flight is the place many people finally cross things off our seemingly-endless lists. But thousands of metres in the air, something shifts. Tastes change. We become more emotional (possibly due to lower air pressure), less cynical and far more likely to hit play on something we might have ignored on the ground. Air travel creates a unique mental space – half boredom, half vulnerability – and cinema becomes both an escape and a comfort. A great plane movie is built for that head space. It's not just about quality – it's about mood. It needs to be immersive enough to distract from the armrest battle unfolding beside you, yet undemanding enough to pause mid-flight. It should feel like a reliable companion, not a chore. With that in mind, here's a breakdown of the types of movies that thrive in the sky – and several recommendations currently flying with Emirates and Etihad. Tear-jerkers Yes, it's true – people cry more on planes. Blame the altitude, the cabin pressure, or the fact they're emotionally raw after three hours in an airport queue. A good cry can feel oddly cathartic in the clouds, especially with the right film to trigger it. These picks deliver the gut punch with heart to spare. Flow The animals in this Academy Award-winning animated film never speak, and that realistic characterisation makes them burrow into the heart even more. Available on Emirates Betterman If you'd told us a year ago that a biopic about British singer Robbie Williams would be a tear-jerker, we'd never have believed you. But give it a try to you'll be pleasantly surprised. Emirates Field of Dreams You don't need to know baseball to be moved by this deeply earnest tale of fathers, sons and second chances. Emirates Sleepless in Seattle Rainy nights, lonely hearts and Tom Hanks at his most Hanksian. One of the great comfort films. Emirates The Iron Giant Still one of the greatest animated films ever made. Brad Bird's breakout classic is as funny as it is devastating. Emirates How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies A Thai box-office sensation and TikTok favourite. Balances humour and heartbreak with remarkable ease. Etihad Rewatchables There are films that feel like old friends – endlessly rewatchable, oddly reassuring and perfect for watching when tired, bored or mildly sedated at 30,000 feet. They don't just pass the time – they make the flight fly by. Conclave While less than a year old, this suspenseful political thriller among cardinals picking the next Catholic priest is just as good on return visits. Emirates A Few Good Men That courtroom scene is iconic, but the rest holds up brilliantly. Peak-era Tom Cruise and writer Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, The West Wing). Emirates A murder mystery viewed through a window. Director Alfred Hitchcock makes voyeurism feel like comfort viewing. Emirates The Social Network Razor-sharp writing, brilliant performances and still oddly thrilling even when you know how it ends. Emirate s Moneyball Another baseball film for people who don't like baseball. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill sell the underdog magic. Emirates Over-the-top action The constant buzz of a plane – the whirr of engines, the clatter of trolleys, the wails of overtired toddlers – can make even the best film hard to focus on. The solution? Loud, fast, gloriously over-the-top action. These are high-stakes, low-subtlety thrill rides. Explosive visuals, simple plots and non-stop momentum make them perfect in-flight entertainment. Just plug in and let the chaos wash over you. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera After the first film became an under-the-radar dad movie classic, Gerard Butler is back as Big Nick for more heist-movie goodness. 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Gulf Today
19-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Tariffs can be damaging to Hollywood's film industry
Alexis Alexanian, Tribune News Service When a country like Armenia sends a film out into the world, it's not just art. It's a way to preserve memory, to reach a scattered diaspora. Each film offers the world stories that might otherwise be forgotten. So when President Trump proposes a 100% tariff on all films 'produced in foreign lands,' the damage isn't limited to foreign competitors or outsourcing studios. It threatens to shut out small nations like Armenia, for whom cinema is a lifeline. The proposal hasn't taken effect — yet. But July 9 marked a turning point in Trump's broader tariff agenda, with a deadline for reimposing sweeping trade penalties on countries deemed 'unfair.' While the situation for films remains unclear, the proposal alone has done damage and continues to haunt the industry. The tariff idea arises from the worldview that treats international exchange as a threat — and cultural expression as just another import to tax. Take 'Amerikatsi' (2022), the extraordinary recent movie by Emmy-winning actor and director Michael A. Goorjian. Inspired by his grandfather's escape from the Armenian genocide — smuggled across the ocean in a crate — the project is not just a movie; it's a universal story rooted in the Armenian experience, made possible by international collaboration and driven by a deep personal mission. Goorjian filmed it in Armenia with local crews, including people who, months later, would find themselves on the front lines of war. One was killed. Others were injured. Still, they sent him videos from the trenches saying all they wanted was to return to the set. That is the spirit a tariff like this would crush. Armenia is a democracy in a dangerous neighborhood. Its history is riddled with trauma — genocide, war, occupation — and its present is haunted by threats from neighboring authoritarian regimes. But even as bombs fall and borders close, its people create. Films like 'Aurora's Sunrise' (2022) and ' Should the Wind Drop' (2020) carry voices across oceans, turning pain into poetry, history into cinema. These films don't rely on wide releases. They depend on arthouses, festivals, streamers and distributors with the courage and curiosity to take a chance. A 100% tariff would devastate that. Indeed, the ripple effects of such a tariff would upend the entire global film ecosystem. Modern cinema is inherently international: A Georgian director might work with a French editor, an American actor and a German financier. So sure, many American films use crew and facilities in Canada. But international co-productions are a growing cornerstone of the global film industry, particularly in Europe. Belgium produces up to 72% of its films in partnership with foreign nations, often France. Other notable co-production leaders include Luxembourg (45% with France), Slovakia (38% with Czechia) and Switzerland (31% with France). These partnerships are often driven by shared language, which is why the US is also frequently involved in co-productions with Britain as well as Canada. Israel too has leaned into this model, using agreements with countries such as France, Germany and Canada to gain access to international audiences and funding mechanisms. The US government cannot unmake this system and should not try to do so. To penalise 'foreign-made' films is to punish Americans too — artists, producers and distributors who thrive on collaboration. You can't build a wall around storytelling. Supporters of the tariff argue it protects American workers. But Hollywood is already one of the most globalised industries on Earth, and the idea that it suffers from too many foreign films is absurd. If anything, it suffers from too few. The result of this policy won't be a thriving domestic market — but a quieter, flatter, more parochial one. A landscape where the next 'Amerikatsi' never gets seen, where a generation of Armenian American youth never discovers their history through a movie screen. If America still wants to lead in the 21st century — not just militarily and economically but morally — it should lead through culture and avoid isolation. Stories like 'Amerikatsi' remind us why that matters. A film that begins with a boy smuggled in a crate across the ocean ends with a message of joy and resilience. That's not just Armenian history — it's American history too. It cannot be separated. Unless we want that kind of storytelling priced out of our cinemas (and off our streaming platforms), we must keep the doors open. For America to turn its back on stories like these would be a betrayal of everything film can be. And it would impoverish American society too. That way lies not greatness but provinciality.