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When I Saw You

When I Saw You

201298 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Director
Annemarie Jacir
Starring
Mahmoud Asfa, Ruba Blal, Saleh Bakri, Anas Algaralleh

Tarek and his mother Ghaydaa number among the tens of thousands of refugees crossing the border from Palestine, having been separated from Tarek's father amidst the chaos of the Six Day War. They ultimately settle at the Harir refugee camp, a makeshift home for a new generation displaced by conflict. Tarek dreams of being reunited with his father, and struggles to adapt to a new life far away from all he previously knew.

Where to watch

Where can I watch When I Saw You?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists When I Saw You streaming on MUBI.

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Highlights

What stands out about When I Saw You?

When I Saw You earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is When I Saw You worth watching?

When I Saw You's Midcredits score is the 73rd percentile of all films, from 3.3K ratings across 6 sources. 58% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

73rd percentile

Better received than 73% of films

76th percentile among Drama73rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)81st
Approval (how many liked it)63rd

70 /100

81st percentile of all films

84th percentile among Drama80th percentile among 2010s

Critics 72 · Audience 70

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

58% liked it

63rd percentile of all films

63rd percentile among Drama64th percentile among 2010s
58% rated it 7–1042% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 4 wins / 9 noms overall

51st percentile

3.3K ratings across platforms

54th percentile among Drama54th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 24% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$600K
Worldwide gross$44K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 26th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A child's-eye view of displacement and political conflict, set in a refugee camp after the 1967 war.

Fans praised

  • child's perspective gives fresh, heartfelt view of political conflict
  • strong performances, especially Mahmoud Asfa's charismatic Tarek and Ruba Blal's understated mother
  • humanizes Palestinian resistance with warmth, humor, and community

Detractors panned

  • overly simplistic, lacks subtlety and surprise
  • child-focused approach undersells the gravity of exile and displacement

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

child lead called delightful, charismatic; mother's performance understated and believable

CharactersDivisive80

Tarek is innocent, stubborn, sarcastic; adults are humanized, not symbols

Emotional impactDivisive78

deeply touching, evokes nostalgia and hope

OriginalityDivisive78

fresh perspective seeing conflict through child's eyes

AtmosphereDivisive75

refugee camp life shown with realism and restraint

Dialogue65

child's sarcasm and humor noted

Plot and storyDivisive55

narrow focus on leaving camp and joining fighters; open ending

Watch experience

What is When I Saw You like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
HopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is earnest and gentle, treating its serious subject with warmth and understatement.
The rideThe film balances warmth and humor with a quiet sadness that intensifies as Tarek's journey reaches its climax.
StructureThe story follows Tarek's journey chronologically from camp to the desert.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayTarek's resilience and hope linger, balanced by the melancholy of displacement.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTarek's journey to find his father and a home drives the story, seen through a child's eyes.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% (this title) · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsDisplacement · 1% of filmsFamily bonds
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeAn eleven-year-old refugee searches for meaning and a way home amid displacement, clinging to family and the hope of return.
StanceThrough a child's eyes, the film questions the permanence of exile and the meaning of home, without didacticism.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralInstitutionalWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Kamran Rastegar
SettingHarir refugee camp in Jordan, 1967, and the surrounding desert where freedom fighters train
MusicThe score likely underscores both the intimate camp life and the hopeful, epic feel of Tarek's journey.

Content guide

Is When I Saw You okay for kids?

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • France12
  • Ireland12
  • Hungary16

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does When I Saw You have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in When I Saw You?

Cast

At least 7 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Mahmoud Asfa
as Tarek
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ruba Blal
as Ghaydaa
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Saleh Bakri
as Layth
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anas Algaralleh
as Mr. Nasser
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ali Elayan
as Abu Akram
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ruba Shamshoum
as Zain
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ahmad Srour
as Touissant
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Husam Abed
as Al Arabi
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Fadia Abu Ayash
as Jihan
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Firas Taybeh
as Majed

Crew

More like this

What are movies like When I Saw You?

Movies like When I Saw You include The Water Diviner (2014), Live and Become (2005) and The Cut (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, several are rescue stories, and most are films set in the Middle East.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its subject: displacement. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with When I Saw You?

3.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: child. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.