The Arab of the Future

«The Arab of the Future» — a series of autobiographical comics by French author and director Riad Sattouf. He recounts his childhood spent in Libya, Syria, and France under the shadows of three dictators — Muammar Gaddafi, Hafez al-Assad, and his own father.

His father, a convinced Pan-Arabist, is obsessed with the idea of brotherhood and the greatness of the Arab world, but at the same time cherishes a dream of building a villa to which he could arrive in a brand new «Mercedes». With Riad's future mother, a French student, they meet in Paris, but in the end, she has no choice but to follow her husband's ideals. The story, told from the perspective of a child, not only reflects the nature of family relationships but also dispassionately exposes the realities of the Middle East in the 80s, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity.