Yemen Documentary: The 4 Best Documentaries about Yemen

Intro: Documentaries about yemen

Yemen is a sovereign state situated in Arabian Peninsula and offers many historical and cultural treasures. This nation is considered the seat of ancient advanced civilizations and one of the Arab’s wealthiest nations in the past.

In ancient times, Yemen refers to as “Arabie Felix,” Latin for “fortunate” or “happy.” It acquired the name due to its high mountains that attract rain, making it more fertile compared to most of the Arabian peninsula.

Today, Yemen suffers from social, political, and economic issues. The wars between the north and south have always been about achieving Yemeni unity. If you want to explore more about this country, you can watch the following documentaries about Yemen:

1. Yemen: A History of Conflict - Yemen Documentary

This Yemen documentary offers an important background and analysis of the country’s history. It provides a comprehensive and informative presentation on the military and diplomatic activities that affect the lives of millions of Yemenis. It can accelerate the viewers’ analytical and critical thinking skills for policy-making and problem-solving towards a peaceful, stable country.

2. Yemen: The North South Divide - Al Jazeera Yemen Documentary

This one is among the best Yemen documentaries. It introduces Yemen as a nation crippled by war and tells the current crisis there. The documentary offers a creative presentation of how the country took a dramatic turn on the 4th of December with the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh by Houthi rebels. However, the sectarian and political divisions dominating today go back hundreds of years.

At the end of the documentary, viewers will wonder what Yemenis think of the new Unity Government and if it will bring peace to the region. The country has always been divided into two separate regions, so many Yemenis are not surprised that internal conflict is still an issue there.

3. Yemen and the global arms trade - Documentary about Yemen

This documentary about Yemen is about the weapons manufactured in the West and exported to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that have ended at the hands of the Yemeni militia. This event is directly in international law and arms trade treaties’ contravention.

Mohamed Aboelgheit, an Egyptian journalist, spent a year documenting the weapons’ origin, including countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, the UK, the US, and Germany. This documentary presents weighty evidence to show that different Gulf states pass arms sold to the military on to other parties in Yemen due to political reasons.

4. Yemen kids and the war - Yemen Documentary

In this Yemen documentary, Khadija Al-Salami, a Yemeni filmmaker, entrusted a camera to three children. These kids reveal the horrors of water through their eyes and in their words. Since 2015, the country has been in the middle of bloody conflict against Houthi rebels.

The daily lives of these kids under the daily Saudi airstrikes are filmed. Wounded children in the hospitals and those who have lost their parents in the bombardments gave testimonies. Adults also are interviewed and sent a message to the European Union, the only institution they believe can stop the war.