Injustice destroys civilisation. The corruption of rulers leads to the ruin of dynasties.
~Ibn Khaldun

Directors

Taste of Cherry Omar Watchtower Cairo 678 The Insult Footnote

It’s much easier to quickly recognise actors, and to make those connections. Not so simple to join the dots about the directors. At the time of beginning this list it’s still kinda barebones, but I’ll probably be adding a few names and faces as I go along. By the time you read those words, the list may be rather full, and I’ll have been too lazy to rewrite these words 😜

I’m not setting a minimum number of films here. One amazing film will be enough to get on this list! It may be that not every film by the director is amazing, but once they’re listed I’ll list all the films that I’ve looked at. For lack of any better way to list them, and to eschew any suspicion of favouritism or bias, directors are listed alphabetically by surname. Someone once told me that I should maybe become a librarian. I was a bit insulted, as I think I can do better, but anyway I know how to put things in order, yes.

Hany Abu-Assad

هاني أبو أسعد

  • Paradise Now ("al-Janna alaan" - الجنّة الآن)
  • Omar (عمر)
  • Huda's Salon (صالون هدى)
Picture of Hany Abu-Assad

Yuval Adler

יובל אדלר

  • Bethlehem (בית לחם)
Picture of Yuval Adler

Fatih Akın

  • Head-On, AKA Gegen die Wand (Duvara Karşı - Against the Wall)
  • The Edge of Heaven, AKA Auf der anderen Seite (Yaşamın Kıyısında - On the Edge of Life)
Picture of Fatih Akın

Mounia Akl

مونيا عقل

Picture of Mounia Akl

Alaa Eddine Aljem

علاء الدين الجم

  • The Unknown Saint ("Sayid al-Majhul" - سيد المجهول)
Picture of Alaa Eddine Aljem

Emin Alper

  • Beyond the Hill (Tepenin Ardı)
  • Frenzy (Abluka)
  • A Tale of Three Sisters (Kız Kardeşler)
Picture of Emin Alper

Tsivia Barkai Yacov

ציביה ברקאי יעקב

  • Red Cow ("Para Aduma" - פרה אדומה)
Picture of Tsivia Barkai Yacov

Nir Bergman

ניר ברגמן

  • Broken Wings ("Knafayim Shvurot" - כנפיים שבורות)
  • Intimate Grammar ("haDikduk haPnimi" - הדקדוק הפנימי)
Picture of Nir Bergman

Emad Burnat

عماد برناط

  • Five Broken Cameras ("Khams Kamīrāt Muḥaṭṭamah" - خمس كاميرات محطمة ; "Hamesh Matslemot Shvurot" - חמש מצלמות שבורות)
Picture of Emad Burnat

Joseph Cedar

יוסף סידר

  • Time of Favour (The Arrangement - "haHesder" - ההסדר)
  • Campfire ("Medurat ha-Shevet" - מדורת השבט)
  • Beaufort (בופור)
  • Footnote ("He'arat Shulayim" - הערת שוליים)
  • Norman
Picture of Joseph Cedar

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

  • The Small Town (Kasaba)
  • Clouds of May (Mayıs Sıkıntısı)
  • Uzak
  • Climates (İklimler)
  • Three Monkeys (Üç Maymun)
  • Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da)
  • Winter Sleep (Kis Uykusu)
  • The Wild Pear Tree (Ahlat Agacı)
Picture of Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Scandar Copti

إسكندر قبطي

  • Ajami (عجمي)
Picture of Scandar Copti

Zeki Demirkubuz

  • Block C (C Blok)
  • Innocence (Masumiyet)
  • The Third Page (Üçüncü Sayfa)
  • Fate (Yazgı)
  • The Confession (İtiraf)
  • The Waiting Room (Bekleme Odası)
  • Destiny (Kader)
  • Envy (Kıskanmak)
  • Inside (Yeraltı)
  • Nausea (Bulantı)
  • Ember (Kor)
Picture of Zeki Demirkubuz

Mohamed Diab

محمد دياب

  • Cairo 678 (٦٧٨)
  • Clash ("Eshtebak" - اشتباك)
  • Amira (أميرة)
Picture of Mohamed Diab

Ziad Doueiri

زياد دويري

  • West Beirut ("Beirut Al Gharbiyya" - بيروت الغربية)
  • The Attack ("al-Hujum" - الهجوم ; "haPigu'a" - הפיגוע)
  • The Insult (Case No. 23 - "Qadiyya raqm 23" - قضية رقم ٢٣)
Picture of Ziad Doueiri

Ronit Elkabetz

רונית אלקבץ

  • To Take a Wife ("veLakakhta Lekha Isha" - ולקחת לך אישה)
  • Shiv'a (Seven Days - שבעה)
  • Gett – The Trial of Viviane Amsalem ("Gett - haMishpat shel Vivian Amsalem" - גט - המשפט של ויויאן אמסלם)
Picture of Ronit Elkabetz

Shlomi Elkabetz

שלומי אלקבץ

  • To Take a Wife ("veLakakhta Lekha Isha" - ולקחת לך אישה)
  • Shiv'a (Seven Days - שבעה)
  • Gett – The Trial of Viviane Amsalem ("Gett - haMishpat shel Vivian Amsalem" - גט - המשפט של ויויאן אמסלם)
Picture of Shlomi Elkabetz

Pelin Esmer

  • Watchtower (Gözetleme Kulesi)
Picture of Pelin Esmer

Ameer Fakher Eldin

أمير فخر الدين

  • The Stranger ("Al-Gharib" - الغريب)
Picture of Ameer Fakher Eldin

Asghar Farhadi

اصغر فرهادی

  • Fireworks Wednesday (Wednesday - "Čahâršanbe-Suri" - چهارشنبه‌سوری)
  • About Elly ("Dar bāre-ye Elly" - درباره الی)
  • A Separation (The Separation of Nader from Simin - "Jodâyi-e Nâder az Simin" - جدایی نادر از سیمین)
  • The Salesman ("Forušande" - فروشنده)
Picture of Asghar Farhadi

Mahdi Fleifel

مهدي فليفل

  • A World Not Ours
  • Xenos
  • A Man Returned
  • A Drowning Man
  • 3 Logical Exits
Picture of Mahdi Fleifel

Ari Folman

ארי פולמן

Picture of Ari Folman

Eytan Fox

איתן פוקס

  • The Song of the Siren ("Shirat ha-Sirena" - שירת הסירנה)
  • Yossi & Jagger (יוסי וג'אגר)
  • Walk on Water ("Lalekhet al Mayim" - ללכת על המים)
  • The Bubble ("haBuah" - הבועה)
  • Yossi (Yossi's Story - "haSippur Shel Yossi" - הסיפור של יוסי)
Picture of Eytan Fox

Bahman Ghobadi

بهمن قبادی

  • A Time for Drunken Horses ("Zamāni barāy-e masti-e asbhā" - زمانی برای مستی اسب‌ها)
  • Marooned in Iraq ("Gomgashte i dar Aragh" - گم‌گشته‌ای در عراق)
  • Turtles Can Fly ("Lakposhtha Parvaz Mikonand" - لاک‌پشت‌ها هم پرواز می‌کنند)
  • Half Moon ("Niveyemang" - نیوەمانگ)
  • No-one Knows About Persian Cats ("Kasi az Gorbehaye Irani Khabar Nadareh" - کسی از گربه های ایرانی خبر نداره)
  • A Flag Without a Country ("Iallaî bê wllat" - ئاڵای بێ وڵات ; "Parcham bedon keshor" - پرچ م بدون کشور)
Picture of Bahman Ghobadi

Amos Gitai

עמוס גיתאי

  • Kadosh (Holiness - קדוש)
  • Kippur (כיפור)
  • Kedma (Forwards - קדמה)
  • Promised Land ("ha-Aretz ha-Muvtakhat" - הארץ המובטחת)
  • Free Zone
  • Disengagement
Picture of Amos Gitai

Jonathan Glazer

  • The Zone of Interest
Picture of Jonathan Glazer

Ofir Raul Graizer

אופיר ראול גרייצר

  • The Cakemaker (The Baker from Berlin - "haOfeh miBerlin" - האופה מברלין)
Picture of Ofir Raul Graizer

Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige

خليل جريججوانا وخليل جريج

Picture of Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige

Annemarie Jacir

آن ماري جاسر

  • Like Twenty Impossibles ("Ka'inana Ashrun Mustaheel" - كأننا عشرون مستحيل)
  • Salt of this Sea ("Milh hadha al-bahr" - ملح هذا البحر)
  • When I Saw You ("Lamma Shoftak" - لما شفتك)
  • Wajib (Duty - واجب)
Picture of Annemarie Jacir

Hüseyin Karabey

  • My Marlon and Brando
  • Do Not Forget Me, Istanbul
  • Come To My Voice (Were Dengê Min ; Sesime Gel)
Picture of Hüseyin Karabey

Maryam Keshavarz

مریم کشاورز

  • Circumstance ("Šar'ayet" - شرایط)
Picture of Maryam Keshavarz

Abbas Kiarostami

عباس کیارستمی

  • Where is the Friend's Home? ("Khane-ye dust kojast" - خانه دوست کجاست)
  • Close Up ("Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk" - کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک)
  • A Taste of Cherry ("Ta’m-e gīlās" - طعم گیلاس)
  • The Wind Will Carry Us ("Bād mā rā khāhad bord" - باد ما را خواهد برد)
  • Ten ("Das" - ده)
Picture of Abbas Kiarostami

Shawkat Amin Korki
(Şewket Emîn Korkî)

شەوکەت ئەمین کۆرکی

  • Crossing The Dust ("Perrînewe le Xûbar" - پەڕینەوە لە غووبار)
  • Kick Off
  • Memories On Stone (Bîranînên li ser kevirî)
  • The Exam ("Ezmûn" - ئەزموون)
Picture of Shawkat Amin Korki

Roy Krispel

רוי קריספל

  • Abu Omar (אבו עומאר ; أبو عمر)
Picture of Roy Krispel

Nadav Lapid

נדב לפיד

  • Policeman ("haShoter" - השוטר)
  • The Kindergarten Teacher ("haGanenet" - הגננת)
  • Ahed's Knee (The Knee - "haBerekh" - הברך)
  • Synonymes
  • Yes! ("Ken!" - !כן)
Picture of Nadav Lapid

Majid Majidi

مجید مجیدی

  • Children of Heaven ("Bæccähâ-ye âsmân" - بچه‌های آسمان)
  • The Colour of Paradise (The Color of God - "Rang-e Khodā" - رنگ خدا)
  • Baran (Rain - باران)
  • The Song of Sparrows ("Âvâz-e gonjeshk-hâ" - آواز گنجشک‌ها)
Picture of Majid Majidi

Mohsen Makhmalbaf

محسن مخملباف

  • Kandahar (قندهار)
Picture of Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Samira Makhmalbaf

سمیرا مخملباف

  • Blackboards
  • At Five in the Afternoon ("Panj é asr" - پنج عصر)
Picture of Samira Makhmalbaf

Haifaa Al-Mansour

هيفاء المنصور

  • Wadjda (وجدة)
Picture of Haifaa Al-Mansour

Samuel Maoz

שמואל מעוז

  • Lebanon ("Levanon" - לבנון)
  • Foxtrot (פוקסטרוט)
Picture of Samuel Maoz

Mai Masri

مي المصري

  • Children of Shatila
  • Frontiers of Dreams and Fears
  • 3000 Nights (٣٠٠٠ ليلة)
Picture of Mai Masri

Dariush Mehrjui

داریوش مهرجویی

  • The Cow ("Gāv" - گاو)
  • Hamoun (هامون)
  • Leila (لیلا)
Picture of Dariush Mehrjui

Najwa Najjar

نجوى نجار

  • Pomegranates and Myrrh ("al-Muru wa'al-Rumaan" - المر والرمان)
  • Eyes of a Thief ("Aiyun al-Haramiya" - عيون الحرامية)
Picture of Najwa Najjar

Ameen Nayfeh

أمين نايفه

  • The Crossing ("Al-'Ubur" - العبور)
  • 200 Metres (٢٠٠ متر)
Picture of Ameen Nayfeh

Laszlo Nemes

  • Son of Saul
Picture of Laszlo Nemes

Kazım Öz

  • The Storm (Bahoz ; Fırtına)
  • The White Sycamore (Çinara Sipî ; Beyaz Çınar)
  • Zer
Picture of Kazım Öz

Jafar Panahi

جعفر پناهی

  • The White Balloon ("Badkonake sefid" - بادکنک سفيد)
  • The Mirror ("Ayneh" - آینه)
  • Crimson Gold ("Talâ-ye Sorkh" - طلای سرخ)
  • Offside (آفساید)
  • This Is Not a Film ("In film nist" - این فیلم نیست)
  • Closed Curtain ("Pardeh" - پرده)
  • Taxi (تاکسی)
  • No Bears ("Khers Nist" - خرس نیست)
Picture of Jafar Panahi

Mohammad Rasoulof

محمد رسول‌اف

  • Iron Island ("Jazire-ye Ahani" - جزیره آهنی)
  • The White Meadows ("Keshtzarhaye sepid" - کشتزارهای سپید)
  • Goodbye (Hope to see you - "Be omid e didār" - به امید دیدار)
  • Manuscripts Don't Burn ("Dast-Neveshtehaa Nemisoozand" - دست‌نوشته‌ها نمی‌سوزند)
  • A Man Of Integrity ("Lerd" - لِرد)
  • There Is No Evil (Shaitan Doesn't Exist - "Sheytân vojūd nadârad" - شیطان وجود ندارد)
Picture of Mohammad Rasoulof

Eran Riklis

ערן ריקליס

  • Cup Final ("Gmar Gavi'a" - גמר גביע)
  • The Syrian Bride ("HaKala HaSurit" - הכלה הסורית ; "al-Arus al-Suriya" - العروس السورية)
  • Lemon Tree ("Etz Limon" - עץ לימון ; "Shajaret Leimoun" - شجرة ليمون)
  • A Borrowed Identity ("Zehut She'ula" - זהות שאולה ; The Dancing Arabs -"al-Arab al-Raqisun" - العرب الراقصون)
Picture of Eran Riklis

Mahmoud Sabbagh

مَحْمُود صباغ

  • Barakah Meets Barakah ("Baraka yuqabil Baraka" - بركة يقابل بركة)
Picture of Mahmoud Sabbagh

Hiner Saleem
(Huner Selîm)

حونەر سەلیم

  • Vodka Lemon
  • My Sweet Pepper Land ("Wilatê Tijê Şîrînêkem" - وڵاتە تیژە شیرینەکەم)
Picture of Hiner Saleem

Darin J Sallam

دارين سلام

  • Farha (فرحة)
Picture of Darin J Sallam

Avishai Sivan

אבישי סיון

  • Tikkun (Repair - תיקון)
Picture of Avishai Sivan

Elia Suleiman

إيليا سليمان

  • Chronicle of a Disappearance ("Sajal ai-Khtifa'an" - سجل اختفاء)
  • Divine Intervention (Divine Hand - "Yad 'iilahiat" - يد إلهية)
  • The Time That Remains ("al-Zaman al-Baqi" - الزمن الباقي)
  • It Must Be Heaven (If you wish, as in heaven - "'in shit kama fi alsama'" - إن شئت كما في السماء)
Picture of Elia Suleiman

Susan Youssef

سوزان يوسف

  • Habibi (Darling, Your Head is Broken - "Habibi Rasak kharban" - حبيبي راسك خربان)
Picture of Susan Youssef

Yaron Zilberman

ירון זילברמן

  • Incitement (Terrible Days - "Yemim Nora'im" - ימים נוראים)
Picture of Yaron Zilberman

Sameh Zoabi

سامح زعبي

  • Tel Aviv on Fire ("Tal Abib 'a Nar" - تل ابيب ع نار ليلة ; "Tel Aviv Al Ha'Esh" - תל אביב על האש)
Picture of Sameh Zoabi
Kadosh Memory Box Salt Of This Sea Wadjda No-one Knows About Persian Cats Viviane 2 - Shiva