Dahlia has recommended the 2022 film "Three Thousand Years of Longing".
Description:
A djinn is released by a professor of narratology attending a conference in Turkey. He regales her with fascinating stories from his thousands of years of existence, starting with King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Where to watch:
For Comcast xFinity subscribers:
https://www.xfinity.com/stream/entity/8759214094818869112
For Amazon Prime Subscribers:
https://www.amazon.com/Three-Thousand-Years-Longing-Idris/dp/B0B7DP28QL
Non-subscribers may also rent a viewing for $5.99 at that link.
Where to chat:
Discussion 8:00pm on Monday July 31 (2023) at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2272006912 Meeting ID: 227 200 6912
More:
Dahlia also recommends A Small Light, available to Hulu subscribers, or for purchase on Amazon.
Notes:
Nom Nom Noshville
Nan-e Nokhodchi – Persian Chickpea-Flour Cookies with Pistachio and Cardamom
https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/nan-e-nokhodchi-roasted-chickpea-four-leaf-clover-cookies/
The amazing and brand newly opened Indian Mega Grocery Store Janta Farmers Market on Kingston carries the chickpea flour and the rosewater and the pistachios you'll need for this thousands of years old treat featured in the film.
Connections/Easter Eggs
This recent movie draws on many popular elements of contemporary global pop culture. For a first example, King Solomon's performance was likely inspired by Norwegian comedian's Ylvis' "Mr Toot" video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASywAfBAVrQ
As a second, in any film dealing with time-travel, genies, etc - scriptwriters must first establish the rules under which the magic will work. This film introduces a new rule for genies - that if they can not grant 3 wishes, they suffer unimaginable torture. This concept first appeared in the disney-blue Magic Genies in the Rick and Morty show episodes involving "Mr. Meeseeks" who were genies summoned from another universe who experience horrible distress if they can not "fulfill my purpose so I can go away", such as when Jerry summons a Meeseeks genie and requests that they improve his golf game, an impossible task eventually involving dozens of tortured Meseeks genies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5wvqKcqL7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Ku1zt7fRg
Third... We have the concept of a supernatural being with advanced powers to manipulate matter and reality visiting earthlings sporadically with absences of hundreds or thousands of years. Eventually the beings note that the observed civilization has surpassed their own magic and no longer needs them, at which point the observed people no longer see them as gods but peers on a similar journey. This was addressed in both The Orville's Mad Idolatry and Star Trek Voyager's Blink of an Eye.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-SU1Es4-8w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GAMb5ZA-uE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP5L2f1Io28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlR4Kvrm-v8
Fourth... We also discussed the XFiles episode which eventually establishes, as this show did, that the only way to survive having your wishes granted is to wish the genie be freed. But before that we find what even the most altruistic wishes might result in in the brilliant episode Je Souhaite ("I Wish.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I9XgzAmkXw
Mysterious Interconnection of All Media Group Shows
Jack amazingly and astonishingly pointed out that our genie here had a lot of similarities to the transcendent and mysterious being in our very first show "The Booth at the End":
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/500651