Maria Zreik
Maria Zreik | |
|---|---|
| ماريا زريق | |
Zreik in 2025 | |
| Born | 1991 (age 34–35) Haifa, Israel |
| Education | University of Haifa |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Villa Touma (2014) Wajib (2017) Ave Maria (2015) |
Maria Zreik (Arabic: ماريا زريق, Hebrew: מריה זריק; born 1991) is a Palestinian actress. She is known for her roles in the films All That's Left of You (2025), Villa Touma (2014), Wajib (2017), and the Oscar-nominated short film Ave Maria (2015).[1]
Early life and education
Maria Zreik was born in 1991 in Haifa. Her sister Lana Zreik is an artist, her brother Anan is a guitarist, her sister Sana is a nutritionist and ballet dancer, her mother Diana is a music teacher, and her father Imad is a pharmacist.[2]
She completed studies in law at the University of Haifa, but chose an acting career. She started acting while being a law student.[3][2]
Career
Zreik made her television debut at the age of 17, with a small role in Peter Kosminsky's series The Promise, which aired on the British channel Channel 4 in 2011.[3]
In 2014, she starred in the main cast of the Palestinian film Villa Touma, presented at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.[4] For her portrayal of the young orphan Badia, she won the award for Best Actress at the Mediterranean Experiences Festival in Reggio Calabria.[5] The following year, she gained popularity for her role as Sister Marie in Basil Khalil's short film Ave Maria, which was nominated for the 2016 Academy Awards and screened at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.[6][7] Her collaboration with the director continued in 2022 with an Arabic-language comedy, A Gaza Weekend.[8]
An emerging star of the 2017 Dubai International Film Festival,[9] Zreik works in both Israel and Palestine. In 2017, she appeared in the multi-award-winning Palestinian comedy Wajib (Duty), directed by Annemarie Jacir, where she played the bride alongside Mohammad Bakri and Saleh Bakri.[10] In 2020, she portrayed Laila in Amos Gitai's film Laila in Haifa, which was presented in competition at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.[11]
Zreik has starred in various short films. Following the success of Ave Maria, she played the role of a Syrian refugee in the American film Detained, directed by Saudi filmmaker Hajar Alnaim.[12] In 2019, the short film Give Up the Ghost, in which she acted alongside Ziad Bakri, was presented in competition at the 76th Venice International Film Festival[13] and won the award for Best Arab Short Film at the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt.[14]
In 2025, Zreik starred as Munira in Cherien Dabis's generational epic All That's Left of You.[1]
Selected filmography
- 2011: The Promise, TV series, supporting role; debut[2][3]
- 2014: Villa Touma, a film with her first leading role[15]
- 2015: Ave Maria, short
- 2016: Between Worlds by Miya Hatav[16]
- 2017: Detained, short[3]
- 2017: Wajib (Duty)[3]
- 2019: Give Up the Ghost, short
- 2020: Laila in Haifa
- 2022: A Gaza Weekend
- 2025: All That's Left of You
- 2025: الذئاب (Wolves), a short story of a tired Palestinian surgeon after a night shift on a deserted road in the West Bank[17]
Awards
- 2014: Mediterranean Experiences Festival, Best Actress award in Villa Touma[5]
- 2020: Indian World Film Festival, Best Actress award in Give Up the Ghost[18][19]
References
- ^ a b Kennedy, Lisa (January 8, 2026). "'All That's Left of You' Review: A Family Saga Across Generations". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
- ^ a b c "ماريا-زريق-فنانة-فلسطينية-شابة-أحلا/ ماريا زريق.. فنانة فلسطينية شابة أحلامها كبيرة" [Maria Zreik. A young Palestinian artist with big dreams]. Al-Quds al-Arabi (in Arabic). December 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Goodfellow, Melanie (6 December 2017). "Arab Stars of Tomorrow 2017 profiles: Maria Zreik, actress (Palestine)". Screen Daily.
- ^ Weissberg, Jay (2014-09-03). "Venice Film Review: 'Villa Touma'". Variety. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ a b "Cinema: i vincitori del Mediterranean Experiences Festival". CN24TV (in Italian). 2014-12-07. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ "Short Film Ave Maria Nominated for an Oscar". Robert Bosch Stiftung. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Davies, Rhodri. "The Arab Christian Oscar nominee for 2016". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ "TIFF Review: A Gaza Weekend is a Middle Eastern Comedy Finding Truth in Satirization". 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz. "Screen unveils Arab Stars of Tomorrow with Dubai Film Festival". Screen. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (2017-08-30). "Oscars: Palestine Selects 'Wajib' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (2020-07-28). "Venice Film Festival 2020 Full Lineup: Luca Guadagnino, Chloe Zhao, Gia Coppola, and More". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Reporter, Adam Karmani, YJA (2018-11-01). "Diff 2017: Meet rising star Maria Zreik". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Redazione. "Venezia 76, la lineup completa". www.cinematografo.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ De Oliva, Ana (2019-09-28). "El Gouna Film Festival: Give Up The Ghost wins Best Arab Short Film". EuroNews. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ "Guests Archive". Other Israel Film Festival. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ "Between Worlds". Daroma Productions. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ هاشم, سحر (2025-08-11). "للمرة الأولى.. مهرجان البندقية 2025 يحتفي بأربعة أفلام عربية". منصة الصباح (in Arabic). Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ "Maria Zreik". ADD. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
- ^ Solutions, M. A. D. "Give Up the Ghost Reaps Its Third Award at Palm Springs International ShortFest". MAD Solutions Official website - Cairo - Abu Dhabi - Lisbon - New York City. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
External links
- Maria Zreik at IMDb