Asian Cinema and Performing Arts ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ Review: A Baffling, High-Budget Chinese Blockbuster Blends Culinary Comedy with Geopolitical Absurdity October 13, 2026 rifanmuazin Not since Zhang Yimou’s acclaimed 2002 wuxia spectacle “Hero” has China secured an official Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature, and that notable dry spell is virtually guaranteed to…