Film guide 2021
The Alleys
A secret romance and a blackmail video unsettle the fragile balance of an East Amman neighbourhood.
- Original title
- الحارة — Al Hara
- Director
- Bassel Ghandour
- Year
- 2021
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
Ali and Lana hide their relationship from the people around them. When a recording of the couple becomes a tool of blackmail, Lana’s mother asks a local gangster to intervene. Their private conflict spreads through a neighbourhood where secrets rarely remain private for long.
Context & recognition
Bassel Ghandour’s first feature as director was presented at Locarno’s Piazza Grande in 2021. An ensemble thriller, it follows how reputation, surveillance and attempts at control connect apparently separate lives.
Main characters & cast
Ali
Emad Azmi
A hustler who presents himself as a businessman.
Lana
Baraka Rahmani
Ali’s secret girlfriend and Aseel’s daughter.
Aseel
Nadira Omran
Lana’s mother, drawn into the blackmail surrounding the couple.
