The devastation caused by war has been a popular backdrop for movies since the Italian neorealists captured life after the Second World War.
The recent conflicts in the Middle East have seen several efforts inspired by Italian neo-realism and, as with the Lebanon-set Catherine Deneuve vehicle Je Veux Voir, Son of Babylon uses the opportunities thrown up by the conventions of the road movie to take a look at a country devastated by war.
This time it's Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. On the radio there is news that some prisoners of war have been found alive in the South. Hearing the news, a grandmother (Shazada Hussein) decides to search for her son, who was arrested by the Republican Guard.
She drags her 12-year-old grandson, Ahmed (Yasser Talib), from their northern hometown as they hitch across the country, over the potholes, in the hope that they will discover that her son is alive. Shooting in Iraq and using non-professional actors, the director Mohamed al Daradji (Ahlam) does an amazing job of both capturing a broken country reeling from the damaging effects of the American invasion and life under Saddam Hussein.
There is a poignant mix of humanity and sadness as the unlikely travelling companions cross the country. Like Christopher Hampton's Imagining Argentina, the film wants to investigate the plethora of people that go "missing" under a dictatorship, but whereas that film felt trite, Son of Babylon successfully combines a political message with a riveting narrative and beautiful cinematography.
The specs
Engine: Single front-axle electric motor
Power: 218hp
Torque: 330Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 402km (claimed)
Price: From Dh215,000 (estimate)
On sale: September
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Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Man Utd), Sam Johnstone (West Brom), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: John Stones (Man City), Luke Shaw (Man Utd), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Man City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Reece James (Chelsea), Conor Coady (Wolves), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Man Utd), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Phil Foden (Man City), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)