Once Upon a Time in the Middle East vs Persian Lessons
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East has the higher audience score (9.2/10 against 7.6/10 for Persian Lessons). Persian Lessons is the shorter watch at 2h 7m compared with 2h 20m. Persian Lessons is the older of the two (2020 against 2026). Both are drama, war movies, so they suit a similar mood.
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Persian Lessons| Once Upon a Time in the Middle East | Persian Lessons | |
|---|---|---|
| Audience score | ★ 9.2/10 | ★ 7.6/10 |
| Year | 2026 | 2020 |
| Length | 2h 20m | 2h 7m |
| Genres | Drama, War | Drama, War |
| Country | – | Russia |
| Director | Wen Muye | Vadim Perelman |
| Main cast | Aarif Rahman, Jiang Qiming, Wei Qing, Michael Koltes, Zhang Xiwei | Alexander Beyer, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Lars Eidinger, Antonin Chalon, Lola Bessis |
Synopsis
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to work as a chef in a Chinese restaurant to pay off family debts, where he meets floor manager Ma Junsheng. Their Dragon Restaurant rises to fame, attracting crowds with authentic‑tasting Chinese food. But war breaks out, and local conditions take a drastic turn for the worse. No one can remain unaffected. What lies ahead for them? And how will the Dragon Restaurant hold on amid the war?
Persian Lessons
Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over. Through an ingenious trick, Gilles manages to survive by…
Where to watch
Where to watch Once Upon a Time in the Middle EastWhere to watch Persian Lessons
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