‘Captain Abu Raed’: Dreams Don’t Need Passports

An airport janitor lifts the spirits of children in a poor neighborhood in Jordan.

Abu Raed (Nadim Sawalha) surrounded by neighborhood kids, in “Captain Abu Raed.” GJW+

NR | 1h 42m | Drama | 2008

Jordan (officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) has long been celebrated for its ancient ruins, Bedouin traditions, and cultural legacy carved deep into the desert, but the country has never been known for its cinema. That began to change with the release of “Captain Abu Raed” in 2007, the first feature film produced in Jordan in half a century.