Once upon a time in the Middle East-the power of food and kindness

                2026 | 141 minutes | China | Mandarin, Arabic, English with English Subtitles | Color | Not Yet Rated

Directed by WEN MUYE
Written by WEN MUYE, LANG QUNLI and ZHONG WEI
Executive Produced by NING HAO

 

Starring SHEN TENG, JIANG QIMING, OMAR SHERIF, LI ZHITING, SHERIF SOBHY

Website: Once Upon A Time In The Middle East | Official Movie Site | Watch Online

IN THEATERS ACROSS THE U.S. AND CANADA

OCTOBER 9, 2026

Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/iHDNxZF7LRw?si=VEBgZmVCs_duOGOO

I am not very familiar with the Chinese film industry or its popular actors, but apparently one of China's biggest stars, Shen Teng, stars in this film. From this film, I can certainly see why he is so popular.

This is the story of Xu Fu (Shen Teng), a Chinese chef deep in debt. To help his family, he accepts an offer to travel to the Middle East to work at the Dragon Restaurant, a Chinese restaurant that has seen better days.

He is picked up by the restaurant manager, Ma Junsbeng, who becomes his ride-or-die friend. Things go well, and together they transform both the food and the clientele of the restaurant, achieving great success. But success never lasts, and Xu Fu soon finds himself trying to save orphans from the Iraq War while also protecting himself and his best friend from the restaurant's owner, who has a hidden identity and agenda.

Xu Fu tries everything he can to stay out of the violence and keep everyone safe. He is a smart man, but he cannot save everyone or everything.

What was supposed to be a short-term job to earn enough money for his daughter and mother turns into a harrowing series of events that keeps him away from his family far longer than he ever bargained for.

The restaurant becomes a refuge for many people, and he is able to save lives and change the course of some of their futures.

He eventually escapes his captivity and makes it back home. Years later, he returns and discovers that his efforts were not in vain.

This is a great example of how one life, lived with integrity, can change the lives of many for generations.

Inspired by real-life events during the Iraq War, this film takes place somewhere in the Middle East in the early 2000s.

The film is well cast, and the characters are richly developed and interesting.

Even though it is mostly in Chinese, I did not struggle to understand what was happening. The film strikes a good balance between action, drama, and heart.

This story is similar in some ways to, though not exactly like, some of the films I saw at TIFF this year.

The level of filmmaking coming out of Asian countries is really starting to shine through among the millions of other films I have seen over the past year.

I'm so late with this review, but I hope you are able to find this film and watch it soon. And I really hope you enjoy it.

Bonus for foodies: the way the food is shot in this film is mesmerizing.

The saying that food fills the soul and saves lives really comes to life in this film.