“Colors of an Oasis” blends snippets from old Lebanese pop, with contemporary footage of the once-dazzling, once-hip, low-genteep UFA stadium, which has closed down and is being torn down. The colorful tents, pink walls, neon banners and shop fronts that litter the main thoroughfare of the old UFA are replaced by the sleek skyscrapers of the new UFA Quarter. It also showcases the green, red and white stripes that are synonymous with Hezbollah and the group’s military activity in the region. It is definitely worth a watch.
“Bitter Orange” is another fun little film about old fashioned Hezbollah and R.A.P.H. (Rebel Army) tactics in coping with betrayal by international terrorists. The film shows the flag being raised over the Beirut International Airport during a rally supporting the country’s unity and resistance against Israel and then later being lowered just as quickly when the rally comes to an end. This short film depicts how R.A.P.H. fights to remain afloat during times of crisis, like during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 2021.
“The Stomping Sands” tells the story of how a young man from belaya flees the country after he is accused of involvement in a terrorist attack that killed his family. In the meantime, he joins the resistance and becomes a top recruiter for ufa forces. Eventually he turns state secrets, divulging his past to the Revolutionary Guards and the IRGC. This action earns him a position as defense minister and he is soon on the verge of nationalization. He tries to cling to his American passport so he can continue working, but he has no choice but to hand it over to the IRGC.
“The Stomping Sands” follows the story of Ufaian as he tries to adjust to life as a Russian citizen while still holding an American passport. As a highly successful minister, he tries to bring about peace through reconciliation but the resistance movement he helped foment in Syria proves to be too strong. He soon realizes that Russia will never recognize ufa administrative districts as part of their country, and vows to fight to reunite the provinces. At first he is successful, but when an airplane carrying a cargo of nuclear weapons crashes near Yaroslavia, the resistance group he helped captures one of the weapons and releases it to the terrorist group.
Two films featuring Russia as a major actor in world affairs have received filmside citations. First is “Mother Russia”, which depicts how the remnants of the Soviet Union attempt to preserve their nationhood while fighting other nations for the integrity of their country hood. The other is “The Night Manager” which centers on the uneasy partnership between America and Russia as they struggle to retain their nuclear monopoly. One more upcoming Russian film that has received a citation is “Kadyrov” a drama about an ambitious former spy who plots the downfall of a powerful leader.
Besides these two movies, there are a number of other upcoming Russian films that are currently gaining audiences and writers. One such upcoming film centers on the ever-secretive governor of a remote Siberian village who rises to the challenge of restoring his ruined country. Another examines the efforts of a pair of cousins to establish a new country in the once prospering city state of Bashkortostan. And there is also “Bury My Heart” a coming-of-age story about a young girl from a remote village who is forced into puberty and becomes swept away with the rhythms of the new country.