Hiam Abbass

Acting

Hiam Abbass

Born November 30, 1960 · Nazareth, Israel (age 65)

Hiam Abbass (Arabic: هيام عباس; Hebrew: היאם עבאס; born 30 November 1960), also spelled Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and film director with Israeli and French citizenship. She is known for her roles in films such as The Syrian Bride (2004), Paradise Now (2005), Free Zone (2005), Munich (2005), The Visitor (2007), Lemon Tree (2008), Insyriated (2017), and Blade Runner 2049 (2017). She gain…

Known For

Blade Runner 2049Blade Runner 2049 · 2017
Blade Runner 2049
7.62017
MovieScience FictionDrama
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Insidious: The Red DoorInsidious: The Red Door · 2023
Insidious: The Red Door
6.52023
MovieHorrorThriller
To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh Lambert and a college-aged Dalton Lambert must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family's dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.
Exodus: Gods and KingsExodus: Gods and Kings · 2014
Exodus: Gods and Kings
5.92014
MovieAdventureDrama
The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 400,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
BabelBabel · 2006
Babel
7.22006
MovieDrama
Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.
HellraiserHellraiser · 2022
Hellraiser
6.22022
MovieHorrorThriller
A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.
MunichMunich · 2005
Munich
7.12005
MovieDramaHistory
During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.
DisengagementDisengagement · 2007
Disengagement
4.92007
MovieDrama
A political drama centered around Israel's pullout from the occupied Gaza strip, in which a French woman of Israeli origin comes to the Gaza Strip to find her long ago abandoned daughter.
Paradise NowParadise Now · 2005
Paradise Now
6.92005
MovieCrimeThriller
Two childhood friends are recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.

Movies

Blade Runner 2049Blade Runner 2049 · 2017
Blade Runner 2049
7.62017
MovieScience FictionDrama
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Insidious: The Red DoorInsidious: The Red Door · 2023
Insidious: The Red Door
6.52023
MovieHorrorThriller
To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh Lambert and a college-aged Dalton Lambert must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family's dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the red door.
Exodus: Gods and KingsExodus: Gods and Kings · 2014
Exodus: Gods and Kings
5.92014
MovieAdventureDrama
The defiant leader Moses rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses, setting 400,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
BabelBabel · 2006
Babel
7.22006
MovieDrama
Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.
HellraiserHellraiser · 2022
Hellraiser
6.22022
MovieHorrorThriller
A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.
MunichMunich · 2005
Munich
7.12005
MovieDramaHistory
During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.
DisengagementDisengagement · 2007
Disengagement
4.92007
MovieDrama
A political drama centered around Israel's pullout from the occupied Gaza strip, in which a French woman of Israeli origin comes to the Gaza Strip to find her long ago abandoned daughter.
Paradise NowParadise Now · 2005
Paradise Now
6.92005
MovieCrimeThriller
Two childhood friends are recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.
The Nativity StoryThe Nativity Story · 2006
The Nativity Story
6.92006
MovieDrama
Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.
BrotherBrother · 2019
Brother
6.62019
MovieDrama
Because he wanted to protect his little brother, Teddy, a young man without a history, is accused of the murder of his father and sent to a closed educational center, waiting for his trial for parricide. He then plunges into a brutal universe of which he does not know the rules.
Palestine 36Palestine 36 · 2025
Palestine 36
7.82025
MovieDramaHistory
Year 1936. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe and some arriving with nefarious Zionist-colonial ambitions, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
KandishaKandisha · 2008
Kandisha
5.32008
MovieHorrorCrime
Shattered by the loss of her child, Nyla Jayde, a brilliant criminal defense attorney, takes on a case involving a 14th century Moroccan legend, a vengeful spirit named Kandisha.
Foreign BodyForeign Body · 2016
Foreign Body
5.32016
MovieDrama
In the turbulent aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, young Samia flees her homeland. She braves hostile seas in the crossing to France, but once there she finds that her struggles have only just begun. With no friends, no family, and — most crucially — no immigration papers, Samia has to figure out how to make a life and a living in a foreign land. She meets a young man, Imed, and soon finds work in the employ of the elegant Leila. But her presence in Leila's middle-class household triggers a shift in its dynamics, and soon Samia is enmeshed in a web of sexual tension.
CarnivoresCarnivores · 2018
Carnivores
5.52018
MovieDramaThriller
At the dawn of her thirties, Mona tries relentlessly to take off as an actress. Time passes and proposals do not arrive. Short of resources, she is forced to move to Sam, her younger sister.
In a WhisperIn a Whisper · 2026
In a Whisper
7.22026
MovieDrama
Back in Tunisia for her uncle's funeral, Lilia reunites with a family that knows nothing about her life in Paris, particularly her romantic life. Determined to uncover the mystery behind her uncle's sudden death, Lilia finds herself confronted with family secrets.
The VisitorThe Visitor · 2008
The Visitor
7.12008
MovieCrimeDrama
A college professor travels to New York City to attend a conference and finds a young couple living in his apartment.
Bye Bye TiberiasBye Bye Tiberias · 2024
Bye Bye Tiberias
7.92024
MovieDocumentary
In her early twenties, Hiam Abbass left her native Palestinian village to follow her dream of becoming an actress in Europe, leaving behind her mother, grandmother, and seven sisters. Thirty years later, her filmmaker daughter Lina returns with her to the village and questions for the first time her mother’s bold choices, her chosen exile and the way the women in their family influenced both their lives.
The Limits of ControlThe Limits of Control · 2009
The Limits of Control
6.02009
MovieCrimeDrama
A mysterious stranger works outside the law and keeps his objectives hidden, trusting no one. While his demeanor is paradoxically focused and dreamlike all at once, he embarks on a journey that not only takes him across Spain, but also through his own consciousness.
Azur & Asmar: The Princes' QuestAzur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest · 2006
Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest
7.72006
MovieAnimationFamily
Raised on tales of a Djinn fairy princess, Azur, a young Frenchman goes to North Africa in search of the sprite, only to discover that his close childhood friend, Asmar, an Arab youth whose mother raised both boys also seeks the genie.
Spices and LiesSpices and Lies · 2025
Spices and Lies
6.92025
MovieComedyDrama
Mehdi's life lies on a fragile balance. He plays the role of the perfect Algerian son for his mother Fatima, while hiding his relationship with Léa and his passion for French cuisine and wine, which he pursues as a chef at the bistro where he works. But Léa can no longer tolerate his family secrets and demands to meet Fatima. Cornered, Mehdi comes up with the worst possible solution...
I Am SlaveI Am Slave · 2010
I Am Slave
6.12010
MovieDramaThriller
Based on the real-life experiences of Mende Nazer, the story unfolds as twelve-year-old Malia, daughter of champion wrestler Bah, is abducted from her Sudanese village in the Nubar Mountains by pro-government Arab militia and sold into slavery to a woman in Khartoum, who beats her for touching her daughter. After six years she is sent to London, where her name is changed, but her miserable life of servitude continues. Her passport is taken and she is told that her father will die if she goes to the authorities. Fortunately she meets a sympathetic person who seems to offer her the hope of escape and reunion with Bah ,back in Sudan. For all the film's optimism an end title states that there are around 5,000 'slave' workers currently in Britain.
The Gate of the SunThe Gate of the Sun · 2004
The Gate of the Sun
6.52004
MovieWarRomance
Yousry Nasrallah's powerful adaptation of Lebanese writer Elias Khoury's epic novel of fifty years of Palestinian dispossession, exile, and resistance. The film follows the flight of Younes, his wife Nahila, and those around them, from their village in northern Palestine to a refugee camp in Lebanon. Some vow to continue the struggle, most simply struggle to survive. Unsparingly detailing the impact of the nakba (disaster) on Palestinian life and society and the refugees' often-contentious relationship with their reluctant Lebanese hosts, Gate of the Sun spans generations, mixing personal stories with historical events.
Only Rebels Win
NEW
Only Rebels Win · 2026
Only Rebels Win
7.02026
MovieDrama
Suzanne and Osmane meet in crisis-ridden Beirut. Osmane is a young Sudanese man without papers, searching for a better future; Suzanne is a widow with Palestinian roots more than twice his age. Against all odds, they fall in love.
Minor RevelationsMinor Revelations · 2008
Minor Revelations
2008
MovieDrama
"The choice of each period is intimate, as each period awakens a particular emotion in me. This emotion reflects what is around me, not everyone is able to recognise it -- that is the risk I take. I think that this is good enough reason to make a film that will make visible small yet revealing things in differeent ways. I believe in tropisms and that is what interests me in this film." -- Marie Vermillard [taken from London Film Festival 2006 catalogue]

TV Shows

SuccessionSuccession · 2018
Succession
8.32018
SeriesDramaComedy
Follow the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they control.
The OAThe OA · 2016
The OA
7.52016
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyMystery
Seven years after vanishing from her home, a young woman returns with mysterious new abilities and recruits five strangers for a secret mission.
The Old ManThe Old Man · 2022
The Old Man
7.22022
SeriesDrama
Dan Chase absconded from the CIA decades ago and now lives off the grid. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
SquareSquare · 2012
Square
2012
Series
RamyRamy · 2019
Ramy
7.32019
SeriesComedyDrama
Ramy, the son of Egyptian immigrants, is on a spiritually conflicting journey in his New Jersey neighborhood, pulled between his Muslim community that thinks life is a constant test, his millennial friends who think life is full of endless possibilities, and a God who's always watching.
The Red TentThe Red Tent · 2014
The Red Tent
6.82014
SeriesDrama
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible her life is only hinted at during a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons in the Book of Genesis. Told through Dinah's eloquent voice, this sweeping miniseries reveals the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood. Dinah's tale begins with the story of her mothers: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that are to sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah tells us of the world of the red tent, the place where women were sequestered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and illness; of her initiations into the religious and sexual practices of her tribe; of Jacob's courtship with his four wives; of the mystery and wonder of caravans, farmers, shepherds, and slaves; of love and death in the city of Shechem; of her half-brother Joseph's rise in Egypt, and of course her marriage to Shechem and it's bloody consequences.
OussekineOussekine · 2022
Oussekine
7.02022
SeriesDrama
An examination of the terrible true events of December 5, 1986, that led to the death of a young student, Malik Oussekine. Centred on his family’s fight for justice, the series explores the enormous impact this high-profile case had on French society.
The StateThe State · 2017
The State
6.52017
SeriesDrama
The experiences of four British men and women who leave their lives behind to join ISIS in Syria.
The PromiseThe Promise · 2011
The Promise
8.02011
SeriesDrama
The story of a young woman who goes to present-day Israel/Palestine determined to find out about her soldier grandfather's involvement in the final years of Palestine under the British mandate.