One of this year’s more unusual inclusions on the final Oscars shortlist for Best Foreign Film, Theeb is one of only two films nominated not from Europe. This Jordanian drama is the feature directorial debut of Naji Abu Nowar. Aided by the strong work of German DP Wolfgang Thaler (Victoria), Nowar tracks the journey of Theeb (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat), a young Bedouin growing up in the desert. It’s 1916, and Theeb’s older brother Hussain has been hired to lead a British army man across the desert. Theeb sneakily follows, and the traveling group are soon plunged into the desert’s warring parties’ territory. Filled with spectacular vistas, this marks the emergence of a strong new directorial debut.