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20 Lebanese & Levantine Arabic Movies and Series for Language Learners

Updated: Aug 1

20 Lebanese and Levantine Films and Series to Enhance Your Language Skills and Cultural Insight - With Links to Watch – Enhance Your Listening, Vocabulary, and Cultural Insight


Yalla, let's cut to the chase!


Lebanese Films – Romance, Family & Identity


1. West Beirut (1998) بَيْروت الغَرْبِيّة

1998 Lebanese war comedy-drama film focusing on the Lebanese Civil War, written and directed by Ziad Doueiri. It was chosen as Lebanon's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 71st Academy Awards, although it did not become a nominee. However, since its release, the film has been widely praised by critics.

Excellent for youth slang and authentic historical context.




2. Caramel (2007) سِكَّر بَنات

The title Caramel refers to the traditional sugar-based method of hair removal, both sweet and painful, much like the lives of the women at the heart of the story. This heartfelt and subtly humorous film, crafted by Nadine Labaki, who also stars in it, centers on the everyday joys, struggles, and secrets of four women connected through a Beirut beauty salon.

Each character faces a deeply personal conflict: Layale is caught in the emotional tug-of-war of an affair with a married man; Nisrine must reconcile her past with the expectations of an upcoming marriage; Rima quietly explores her feelings for another woman; and Jamale wrestles with the pressures of aging in a society that prizes youth.

In the intimate, warm space of the salon, where hair is done, nails painted, and hearts quietly mended, these women find not only beauty, but comfort, understanding, and companionship.

Unlike Labaki’s later films such as Capernaum, which take on harsher social issues, Caramel offers a softer lens, shining a light on the daily lives and emotional landscapes of women in Lebanon, far removed from the country’s political backdrop.



3. Where Do We Go Now? (2011) وهلّأ لَوين؟

Directed by and starring Nadine Labaki.

Set in a remote Lebanese village, Where Do We Go Now? is a poignant and darkly humorous tale of a group of women who will stop at nothing to prevent religious conflict from breaking out among their men. In a town where Christians and Muslims live side by side, rising tensions threaten to unravel the delicate peace they share. The women, mothers, daughters, widows, join forces to distract, trick, and even sabotage the men to keep them from turning against each other.

From faking miracles to hiring exotic dancers, their inventive strategies are both comic and moving, showcasing the emotional strength, cleverness, and quiet resistance of women in the face of senseless violence.

Rather than focusing on politics or history, the film explores the human cost of division, particularly through the eyes of women who have already buried too many sons, husbands, and brothers.

With dialogue in Lebanese Arabic and touches of Modern Standard Arabic, the film is ideal for language learners looking to hear natural, emotive speech while absorbing important cultural themes.

Labaki crafts a story that blends humor, grief, and hope, choosing to highlight the resilience and resourcefulness of women over the chaos of conflict. Where Do We Go Now? is both a love letter to peace and a reminder of the price we pay when we lose it.

Trailer:


4. Mahbas | Solitaire (2016) مَحْبَس

A Lebanese mother is shocked to learn her daughter is engaged to a Syrian man. A rom-com about family, fear, and love.

Lebanese & Syrian.

Great for humor, dialect contrast, and culture clash.

Trailer:


5. Memory Box (2021) صَنْدوق الذِّكْرَيات

In snowy Montreal, Maia, a Lebanese single mother, tries to keep the past buried while raising her teenage daughter, Alex. But on Christmas Eve, an unexpected package arrives, a box filled with old notebooks, cassette tapes, and photographs Maia had once mailed to a childhood friend during the 1980s.

Maia refuses to revisit those memories or explain them, but Alex, full of curiosity, secretly begins to explore the contents. Through her eyes, we’re transported to Maia’s youth in war-era Beirut, a time of danger, rebellion, romance, and heartbreak.

Blending fantasy, nostalgia, and real-life footage, Memory Box reveals the layers of a mother-daughter relationship shaped by trauma, silence, and rediscovery. It’s a visually rich and emotionally layered film that opens a conversation about intergenerational memory, identity, and the lasting impact of the Lebanese civil war.

Ideal for intermediate learners interested in modern history, family themes, and multilingual settings.

Lebanese + French + English.

Multilingual with deep cultural and emotional layers.


6. Ghadi (2013) غَدي

In a quiet, traditional coastal town in Lebanon, music teacher Leba and his wife welcome their third child, Ghadi, a little boy born with special needs. But as Ghadi grows, the townspeople begin to whisper. His unusual behavior, loud vocalizations, and presence in the neighborhood stir fear, superstition, and gossip among the conservative community.

Soon, the neighbors begin to pressure Leba to send Ghadi away to an institution. Refusing to give up on his son or allow ignorance to win, Leba devises a brilliant and slightly absurd plan. With the help of a few loyal friends and a dose of theatrical creativity, he spreads a rumor: Ghadi is not a demon... he's an angel. And not just any angel, one who hears the town’s secrets and has the power to fix their problems.

As the plan unfolds, the townspeople begin to change. Their fear turns into wonder. Ghadi, unknowingly, becomes a symbol of hope, healing, and quiet transformation.

Beautiful for cultural values and family vocabulary. Genre: Comdedy and Drama.

Trailer:


7. Capernaum (2018) كفَرْناحوم

A powerful story of a child navigating the underbelly of Beirut.

In a Lebanese courtroom, a 12-year-old boy named Zain takes an extraordinary step: he sues his parents for bringing him into a life of pain and neglect. This bold act becomes the gateway to a heart-wrenching journey through the forgotten streets of Beirut, where Zain’s daily reality is shaped by poverty, survival, and injustice.

Raised in a crowded household with barely enough food and no schooling, Zain is forced to grow up fast. But his breaking point comes when his parents marry off his younger sister, a decision that shatters him. Overcome with anger and grief, he runs away.

Zain’s path leads him to a kind-hearted undocumented Ethiopian woman who works as a cleaner and hides her infant son, Jonas, from authorities. Together, Zain and the baby form a fragile but beautiful bond, navigating life on the fringes of society. Zain, though still a child himself, takes on the role of caregiver and protector in a world that offers them no safety net.

As challenges mount, Zain is forced to make difficult choices, ones that reveal his inner strength, courage, and deep sense of justice far beyond his years.

Lebanese (lots of street langauge).

Emotionally intense but rich in survival language.

Trailer:


8. Bosta (2005) بوسْطَة

A musical road trip through Lebanon to revive traditional Dabkeh with a modern twist.

Lebanese.

Joyful, musical, and full of cultural pride.

A Road Trip of Rhythm, Roots, and RevivalDirected by Philippe Aractingi, Starring Nadine Labaki, Rodney El Haddad

In the wake of Lebanon’s post-war recovery, a group of young artists sets off on a cross-country journey aboard a beat-up yellow school bus, the bosta, to revive and modernize Dabkeh, a traditional Lebanese folk dance. Blending techno beats with folklore, the group’s performances aim to reignite national pride and bridge the gap between old and new generations.

As the bus rolls through Lebanese towns and villages, the dancers encounter love, resistance, nostalgia, and moments of tension. Alongside energetic routines and musical interludes, we’re invited into a Lebanon caught between memory and modernity, tradition and transformation.

At the heart of the film is a deep cultural question: Can a war-torn country find unity through music and dance? Bosta suggests yes, through art, friendship, and open roads.

Trailer:


🎶 Fairuz & Rahbani Cultural Treasures – Music, Theatre & Language


9. Bint el-Ḥāris (1967) بِنْت الحارِس The Guard’s Daughter

Set in a small Lebanese village during the final years of Ottoman influence, Bint el-Ḥāris tells the story of Rima, a young woman played by the iconic Fairuz, who is mistakenly appointed as the town’s night guard. Her unexpected position challenges traditional gender roles and stirs curiosity and confusion among the townspeople. Behind the light-hearted songs and playful moments lies a subtle critique of bureaucracy, authority, and outdated systems inherited from the Ottoman era. Rich with Rahbani Brothers music, the film combines humor, folklore, and resistance in a way that still resonates today.

Lebanese Arabic.

Great for classic songs and elegant village expressions.



10. Safar Barlik (1967) سَفَر بَرْلِك The Great Ottoman Draft

A poetic musical film set during Ottoman rule, filled with patriotic themes. Set during the dark years of Ottoman rule in the early 20th century, Safar Barlik is a historical Lebanese musical drama that blends patriotism, tragedy, and poetic resistance. Directed by Henry Barakat and featuring the legendary Fairuz, the film takes place in a peaceful mountain village suddenly disrupted by Ottoman conscription orders, known as seferberlik, which force young Lebanese men into the empire’s army, separating families and leaving communities in fear and mourning. Against this backdrop, the villagers begin to organize in quiet rebellion, finding strength in their shared suffering, love of the land, and cultural identity. Fairuz, with her haunting voice and powerful presence, leads the emotional core of the film through songs that have become national treasures. Safar Barlik is more than a film, it is a cultural memory, evoking a time of famine, sorrow, and quiet heroism. With its poetic language, emotional music, and evocative cinematography, it remains one of the most significant films in Lebanese cinema and a must-watch for anyone wanting to understand the historical weight behind modern Lebanese identity.

MSA & poetic Rahbani Arabic.

Rich in classical language and emotional depth.


11. Fairuz Musicals / Rahbani Plays

If you’re studying Lebanese Arabic, these are a cultural must. Try:

  • Petra – بِتْرا

  • Mais el-Rīm – مَيْس الرّيم

  • Jibal as-Sawwan – جبال الصوان

    Poetic Lebanese.

    Ideal for musical Arabic immersion and heritage.


Other Lebanese Classics


12. ʻAsharat ʻAbīd Ṣighār (1974) - Remake: 2014 عَشْرَة عَبيد صغار Ten Little Slaves

A Lebanese mystery mini-series inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Short Clip:


Remake:


13. Al-Nahr (1974) النَّهْر The River

Set during Ottoman times, this romantic drama reflects famine, inheritance, and village politics. Fun Fact: During the period when this show aired, Lebanese families named their children after the stars: Nisrine and Jad.

MSA mainly with some Lebanese.

Perfect for emotional, poetic Arabic.


14. Layālī Shahrazād (1980s) ليالي شَهْرَزاد The Nights of Scheherazade

A fantasy-laced series inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.

MSAز

Rich for literary expressions and storytelling.

Intro:



15. ʻĀzif al-Layl (1990s) عازِف الليل The Night Musician

A musical, emotional story about loss, art, and redemption.

MSA.

Great for expressive, emotional language learning.



Modern Lebanese Series – Real Language, Real Life

16. Dollar (2019) دولار

A marketing agent tries to track a mysterious $1 bill linked to a fortune.

Lebanese Arabic.

Excellent for modern expressions and fast-paced urban language.

Short clip:


17. Shadow (2021) ظلّ

A psychological drama full of mystery and tension.

Lebanese and Syrian Arabic.

Great for emotional language and suspenseful tone.

Short Clip:



Jordanian, Syrian & Lebanese Picks – Family-Friendly & Culturally Rich

18. Theeb (2014) ذيب Wolf – Jordan

A Bedouin boy journeys through the desert in WWI Arabia.

Bedouin Arabic.

Excellent for desert life vocabulary and authentic storytelling.


19. Bāb Al-Hārah (2006–2017) باب الحارة The Neighborhood Gate – Syria

A legendary Syrian drama set in 1930s Damascus about honor, family, and tradition.

Syrian.

Rich in idiomatic expressions and cultural insight.


20. Shankaboot (2010) شَنْكَبوت Spiderboy – Lebanon

Lebanon’s first web drama follows a 15-year-old delivery boy navigating modern Beirut.Fast-paced Lebanese.

Great for urban slang, youth culture, and short episodes.



Final Tips for Arabic Learners:

  • Use Arabic subtitles when possible, then switch to English on second watch.

  • Pause and repeat lines to mimic pronunciation and rhythm.

  • Make a list of new words or expressions by topic (family, emotions, humor, etc.).

  • Don’t worry about understanding everything, immerse and enjoy!


 

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