Captain Abu Raed

Fantastic!!!
I am a pilot and I love this movie! This film has everything a good film has to have: Good story, good music, a villain, a hero, good acting, no noticeable swearing, a great moral, great photography, etc. I wish more movies were like this! Best kept secret out there.

A must see!
I saw this screened for over a thousand middle and high school students during the Sundance Film Festival. A foreign film in another language (with English subtitles) might invite trouble among that many energetic kids, but it absolutely captured their attention. There was a lot of excited, positive chatter as they left the theater. It works for people of all ages. Captain Abu Raed is a treat for anyone who enjoys insight into other cultures, a combination of emotions, and a meaningful story. This international educator gives it five stars plus.

Even a small man can make a big difference
When Abu Raed goes around wearing a pilot's hat, a group of children in Amman, Jordan beg to hear about his career and travels. At first, Abu Raed insists that he is no pilot, but eventually, he begins telling children stories about Greece, New York, and everywhere in between to add excitement to their poverty-stricken lives. One of the kids sets out to expose Abu Raed, and he eventually proves the old man is merely a janitor at the airport. Though Abu Raed's stories become discredited, he still tries to improve the lives of some of the children. In particular, he helps to keep one boy in school and protects another one--ironically, the boy who tore his travel stories apart--from physical and psychological abuse.

Considering that this movie was Jordan's first in 50 years, and was done with a pretty small budget, it is a very admirable story. The man playing Abu Raed has acted in minor roles before, but nearly all the children casted are first-time actors from refugee camps...

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