Black Gold

Set on the Arabian Peninsula during the 1930s, the story follows the aftermath of a conflict between two leaders, Emir Nesib and Sultan Amar. To secure peace, they establish a neutral zone known as the Yellow Belt and agree that Nesib will adopt Amar's sons, Saleeh and Auda, as a guarantee against future aggression. As the boys grow into men with diverging interests in warfare and knowledge, the discovery of oil in the region transforms the political landscape. The sudden prospect of immense wealth creates new tensions, forcing Auda to navigate the rivalry between his two fathers.

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, this adventure drama followed his 2007 project His Majesty Minor and preceded his 2015 film Wolf Totem. The cast features Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim, Freida Pinto, and Riz Ahmed. Produced by Tarak Ben Ammar with a screenplay by Menno Meyjes, the film had a budget of 40 million USD but earned 5 million USD at the worldwide box office. On IMDb, the film holds a 6.6/10 rating from 13,000 votes, while it has a 6.5/10 rating on TMDB from 320 votes. These audience scores are higher than the 4/10 rating provided by film critics based on 27 reviews.