Yemen movies were introduced to the world in 1932. Although this may seem like a long time ago, in reality, it is just the opposite for Yemeni cinema since Yemeni movies have not lived up to their potential.
While other countries have excelled in this field Yemem have failed to do so. This is due to many reasons that include lack of funds and poor marketing in previous years.
However, this is all changing with some new actors and actresses who bring fresh energy to Yemeni cinema.
In today’s article we are listing the Best Yemeni Movies of all time.
Best Yemeni Movies
Planning to watch Yemeni movies? Here, we have compiled the best Yemeni movies that everyone should watch.
#6. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)
Directed by Lasse Hallström Salmon Fishing in the Yemen film is a 2011 British romantic comedy-drama film based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Paul Torday.
The film tells the story of Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) is a fisheries scientist who gets a strange request one day: Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt) is a businesswoman who needs his help to satisfy a wealthy sheik’s (Amr Waked) desire to bring recreational fishing to Yemen.
Jones initially declines, but when the spokeswoman for the British prime minister sees the project as an opportunity to enhance Middle East relations, he joins in. As Jones and Harriet try to make the sheik’s dream a reality, romance grows.
The film is rated 6.8/10 in the IMDb, 67% Rotten Tomatoes, and 58% Metacritic.
#5. The Losing Bet (2008)
The Loser Bet is a Yemeni fictional film that deals with the issue of extremism and terrorism, directed by Fahdel Al-Olofi.
The film took three months to shoot it and it is an hour and forty-five minutes long, at a cost of 18 million Yemeni riyals (90,000 dollars).
The film tells the story of a foreign tourist named Maria who visits an archaeological area in Yemen, and meets a Yemeni girl named Shaima who works as a translator for tourists, and the relationship between them is strengthened.
But the surprise occurred when an extremist group led by the brother of the Yemeni girl carried out a suicide operation while the cars of the tourists were passing, and Maria was among them, which led to the death of her father and others, and wounding her, her mother and the rest.
Events escalate and a military confrontation takes place with the group, which leads to the elimination of this terrorist cell.
Despite the tragedy that befell the tourist, which is the death of her father, she confirms upon leaving Sana’a airport that terrorism will not prevent her from visiting Yemen again.
#4. The Mulberry House (2013)
Sarah was raised in Yemen by a Yemeni father and a Scottish mother, and at the age of 17, she decided to move to Scotland. Ten years later – in 2011 – Sarah returns to Yemen as a different person and prepares to confront the home of her past and reconnect with her long-severed roots.
Against all odds, she returns to find her family and country teetering on the brink of revolution.
The film toured more than 50 film festivals and was shown on Al Jazeera English. He won the Jury Prize at This Human World Film Festival in Vienna and the Audience Award at the Berwick Film Festival in the UK. He was nominated for the Muhr Award at the Dubai International Film Festival and the AEGAN Awards at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
The film is rated 7.1 out of 10 on the IMDb website.
#3. A New Day in Old Sana’a (2005)
A 2005 romantic drama film directed by Bader Ben Hirsi called A New Day in Old Sana’a was the first Yemeni film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
Federico, an Italian photographer, is the protagonist of the film. Tariq, Federico’s friend, is about to marry Bilquis, the daughter of a wealthy judge.
However, one night while out in the city, he sees a lady whom he believes to be Bilquis and falls in love with her.
Tariq is forced to choose between his love and his duty of this aristocratic family. He can either run away with his lover, an orphan from the lower class, or go through with his arranged marriage to the daughter of a judge.
The film is rated 6.2 out of 10 on the IMDb website.
#2. I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced (2014)
Directed by Khadija Al-Salami “I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced” is a 2014 Yemeni drama film based on the story of Nujood Ali, who sought divorce from her abusive husband at age 10.
After being married away to avoid a public scandal following the rape of her sister, a ten-year-old Jemenite girl petitions a court in Sana’a to give her a divorce from a horrific marriage.
The film was chosen as Yemen’s entry for the 89th Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category, marking the first time Yemen had submitted a film for consideration. It was, however, not nominated.
The film is rated 6.9 out of 10 on the IMDb website.
#1. 10 Days Before the Wedding (2018)
10 Days Before the Wedding is A 2018 Yemeni drama film directed by Amr Gamal.
With only 10 days until their wedding, a multitude of impediments stand in the way of a young couple; each difficulty is created in some manner by the legacy of Yemen’s 2015 conflict.
Sarah was raised in Yemen by a Yemeni father and a Scottish mother, and at the age of 17, she decided to move to Scotland. Ten years later – in 2011 – Sarah returns to Yemen as a different person and prepares to confront the home of her past and reconnect with her long-severed roots.
Against all odds, she returns to find her family and country teetering on the brink of revolution.
The movie Ten Days Before the Wedding is a love story from the city of Aden in a time of war, a movie that revolves within a social, romantic, comedy framework saturated with music and traditional performances.
The film tells the story of Rasha and Mamoun, two young men from the coastal city of Aden, whose wedding was prevented by the 2015 war. They desperately try to complete the wedding ceremony in 2018, and when there are 10 days left for their wedding, a number of obstacles stand in their way, each obstacle representing one way or another social and economic problems that suffer Including the Yemeni people in wartime.
A romantic journey full of comic paradoxes, sarcastically cut by Rasha and Mamoun in ten days, during which they go through a number of obstacles such as displacement and the control of war merchants over the fates of the displaced, through armed groups and ending with the stifling economic crisis afflicting Yemen, the newlyweds struggle to compete in time to complete the wedding on time during 10 days, will they be able to safely reach the wedding day?!.
It was selected as the Yemeni entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
10 Days Before the Wedding scored 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb and 3.7 out of 5 on Letterboxd.
That was our list of the Best Yemeni Movies ever made and we hope that you like them.
Do you agree with our list? If you have any suggestions or comments please shoot them down in the comments below. Â
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