The Idol — Trailer

added: Tue, Mar 8th '16

It's the inspirational true story of Palestinian pop singer Mohammad Assaf, who rose from humble beginnings to become a huge international sensation while competing on the singing competition series "Arab Idol."

"The Idol" is directed and co-written by Hany Abu-Assad, the Palestinian filmmaker behind the Oscar-nominated foreign dramas "Omar" and "Paradise Now." And the film follows Assaf's life from childhood living in a refugee camp in Gaza to his meteoric rise to stardom -- which began in 2013 when the 23-year-old aspiring singer took a two-day voyage to Cairo, Egypt just to audition for "Arab Idol," not knowing his life was about to change forever.

Premiering to strong reviews at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, "The Idol" will open in select theaters on May 6th. Watch the film's newly-released U.S. trailer, above.

synopsis:
Gaza. Synonymous to so many with conflict, destruction and despair but to Mohammed Assaf, and his sister Nour, Gaza is their home and their playground. It’s where they, along with their best friends Ahmad and Omar, play music and football and dare to dream big. Their band might play on secondhand, beaten-up instruments, but their ambitions are sky-high. For Mohammed and Nour, nothing less than playing the world-famous Cairo Opera Hall will do. It might take them a lifetime to get there but, as Mohammed will find out, some dreams are worth living for.

directed by Hany Abu-Assad

starring Qais Atallah, Ashraf Barhom, Hiba Atallah, Abd-Elkarim Abu-Barakeh, Teya Hussein, Tawfeek Barhom, Dima Awawdeh

release date May 6, 2016