Movies & TV Shows from Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

In sixth-century Mecca, Prophet Muhammad receives his first revelation from God as a messenger. Three years later, he's not alone in his quest and publicly declares his prophecy. Muhammad is fought by Abu Sufian and his wife Hind, rulers of Mecca. Muhammad's followers are hunted and tortured but he continues his calling.

“Each of you is an ambassador, and we are sure that each of you will be the best ambassador of our country.” This is how the film begins; a speech to emigrant workers for France. Salah left his three sisters and his mother to become an ambassador, going to work on a Defense site, wading in the mud, he works with a jackhammer. Salah wanders in search of work and housing. Coming up against racism from the owners claiming the respectability of the building and the good neighborhood, he finds himself in a hotel in the Goutte d'Or district. The body of Mehdi, friend of Salah, was found in the Canal Saint-Martin, murdered by a fascist commando, and Ali died of a bullet, killed by a racist janitor. Faced with crimes that remain unpunished, Salah and his friends organize, unite with the French working class to defend their lives and their right to work.

Recording a 24-hour period throughout every country in the world, we explore a greater diversity of perspectives than ever seen before on screen. We follow characters and events that evolve throughout the day, interspersed with expansive global montages that explore the progression of life from birth, to death, to birth again. In the end, despite unprecedented challenges and tragedies throughout the world, we are reminded that every day we are alive there is hope and a choice to see a better future together. Founded in 2008, it set out to explore our planet's identity and challenges in an attempt to answer the question: Who are we?

​​When Jihan was six years old, her father flew to Cairo and never returned. Mansur Rashid Kikhia was the Foreign Minister of Libya, ambassador to the United Nations, and a human rights lawyer. After serving in Qaddafi's increasingly brutal regime, he defected from the government and became a peaceful opposition leader. Kikhia was obsessively loyal to his country but ultimately, his determination to reason with Qaddafi led to his disappearance from a hotel in Egypt in 1993.

In 1981, seven Libyan exiles formed the core opposition group to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Thirty years later, they are back to their country only to inherit the mess he left. The film is an intricate blend of rare first-hand accounts, propaganda archival material turned on its head, evocative cinematography and an untold history of a country.

Al-Baroni's film deals with part of the life of the well-known Libyan freedom fighter (Suleiman Pasha Al-Baroni), better known as "The Leader", who was born in 1870 in the city of Kabao in the Nafusa Mountains of Libya. He was famous for combining science, religion, politics, poetry and literature, so he became one of the most important freedom fighters in the history of Libya. Libya and contributed to the establishment of the first Arab republic, the Tripolitan Republic, which he participated in establishing in 1918. He was one of the first fighters against the Italian occupation, who confronted him with politics and weapons. He paid a high price for his struggle and was exiled outside his homeland until he passed away in 1940 in Muscat, Oman.

“There was excitement in the air,” says Donga, now in his late twenties, describing his feelings when the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi’s rule broke out in 2011. He was 19, living in Misrata, and boldly went to film the fighting with a friend. A decade later, in a hotel in Istanbul, where he has been living since he was wounded in battle, he looks back on the past ten years through excerpts from his videos. And he reflects on how that period has affected him.

Oasis in the desert: we see palm trees, camels, and a panoramic view of the village. Men exit a mosque. Women and children assemble and the women prepare a meal--smiling and laughing when they notice the camera. A group of men and children emerge with a camel from an underground gallery. A man harvests fruits from a tree. A woman vigorously crushes the fruit with a stone. A child stomps the fruit with his feet inside a container. The people often look directly at the camera while they work. We see the process of their labor production, followed by views of the old fortress, the citadel, and the village. A woman fetches water from a well in a bucket. A donkey raises a ruckus and causes a scene. A small child smiles and nods while holding the side of his head after a fight, indicating that he did well.

In March 2011, documentary photographer Guy Martin arrived in Libya on the trail of uprisings that were sweeping across the Middle East. One month later he lay in a hospital bed in Misrata, fighting for his life after a rocket-propelled grenade landed near his group, killing photographers Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros and at least seven rebel soldiers. 'Rebirth' is a dramatic exploration of memory and trauma, charting one man's descent into the terrifying reality of war.

Prisoner and Jailer tells the story of two contrasting Libyans: a key official in the former regime and one of the most prominent figures of the post-revolutionary period in Libya. Through these two characters, we discover the circumstances surrounding one of the most influential events in modern Libyan history: The Abu Salim Prison Massacre.

Written To Not Remain is a visual investigation looking into the act of writing on the walls across post-revolution Libya, positioning collective statements as ephemeral evidences of contemporary and historical events, social commentary, correspondences, or often silent protests, serving as testimonies of the times from 2011 onwards, reflecting the state of the world through the western-led manufactured wars in Libya. In this video work combining archival imagery and acts made inside a VR simulation, Barnosa translated and transmits a photo archive she began collecting from 2019 onwards, elaborating on a few happenings from over 200 images of writings, as source materials alongside a text recitation.

Corruption... Authority... Justice... Four ambitious young candidates compete to choose Al-Hawiya, and get the largest number of votes to win the seat.

A short documentary about a cultural mediator working for the Italian Navy, as it patrols the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya.

The series "Zanghat Arreeh" is a historical social drama, the events of which take place in 1945 in the city of Tripoli in Libya. It highlights the suffering of the Libyan people under the rule of the British administration that was installed in Libya after World War II and the defeat of Italy. In the absence of any media or legal interest, the British military administration facilitated procedures for foreign communities at the expense of the sons of the homeland. The series also highlights the social life, customs and traditions that prevailed among the residents of Tripoli of all religions and ethnicities, united by one city and one homeland, in which they share their joys and sorrows.

Ghasaq captures the intense situation in the cities of Misurata and Tripoli from September 2014 to December 2016, the date when Giza, the last stronghold of ISIS in Sirte was liberated. Ghasaq narrates the struggle and unification of the Libyan people from all ages and backgrounds in their fight against extremism and terrorism, eventually becoming victorious after the sacrifice of hundreds of martyrs.

Follows a part of al-Qaramanli dynasty's reign over Tarabulus (Tripoli, Libya) that takes place between 1783 and 1795, Hassan Bek, the son of Ali Pasha, is known for his fairness and his valor in defending his country, which arouse the hatred of his two brothers, Ahmad and Yusuf, especially after the governor, Ali Pasha, falls ill with tuberculosis, leading to a power struggle.

In a Bedouin setting, the events of the series reflect many aspects of the everyday life of citizens, highlight the lived reality with all its social problems, in a satirical comic framework.