L'Arabie interdite

1937 0h 50m FR

🤯

8.5

MASTERPIECE

★8.5TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

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Documentary made in Yemen (and first film ever shot in this country) under the leadership of archaeologist Jules Barthou. During the adventure of this film, René Clément will serve four days in prison for having concealed a camera under his clothes, then will be captured by rebels and threatened with being shot. The majority of the negatives will be seized by the guards of Imam Yahia, and it is with the remaining rushes that Clément will edit what becomes The Forbidden Arabia, a film entrusted to the Musée de l’Homme in 1965 where it is forgotten until that ethnologist Claudie Fayein unearths it and has it restored.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Credits

Behind the camera

Director: René Clément
Languages: French
Countries: France, Yemen

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

89 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Yemen.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0205748 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

René Clément directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Yemen. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 50-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
289 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3International production across 2 countries: France, Yemen.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5IMDB entry: tt0205748 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.