A few days ago I attended a film screening for "Amreeka" (Directed by Cherien Dabis). I absolutely loved this movie and highly recommend it. The film is partially in Arabic and partially in English. It is about a Palestinian mother and son who receive a U.S. Green Card and leave Palestine to live with their family in Illinois. While this is a story about immigration, the conflict in the Middle East serves as a backdrop and propels the dramedy forward. Muna Farah, played by Nisreen Faour, is initially reluctant to leave the West Bank, but after guards harass her son at a checkpoint she decides maybe change could be good. Once in America, Munah and her son Fadi (Melkar Muallem) try to adjust to their new lives. They are broke because Muna lost all of her money at the airport. Muna is forced to work a menial job--although she is educated-- and Fadi begins to become more "American," which may not be such a good thing. Her sister Raghda (Hiam Abbass) and her doctor husband Nabeel (Yussef Abu-Warda) live in a small town and their family faces racism because their neighbors believe they are terrorists who work for Osama Bin Ladin. Fadi also struggles with being mistreated. Will this family overcome these hardships? You have to watch to find out!
"Amreeka" was screened at numerous film festivals including Sundance and Cannes.
http://www.amreeka.com/
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