Theeb

Theeb (2014) is a desert drama — a Bedouin Western you can watch online on iFILM. The story unfolds on the Arabian Peninsula in 1916, as the Ottoman grip loosens and the Arab Revolt stirs. Theeb is a young Bedouin boy, the youngest son of a late tribal sheikh.

When his older brother Hussein agrees to guide a British officer across the dunes to a well by the railway, Theeb tags along and stumbles into a world where water outvalues gold. The pilgrim trails crawl with mercenaries and deserters. Stranded far from his tribe, the boy has to grow up in days — reading tracks, holding a rifle, telling an ally from a man about to betray him.

Director Naji Abu Nowar shot in Jordan's Wadi Rum with non-actors, real Bedouins playing close to themselves. The film went on to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and landed Abu Nowar a BAFTA for his debut. Slow, sun-scorched cinema for viewers who like the landscape to do as much work as the cast. Stream Theeb (2014) online on iFILM.