Amreeka

Unwavering optimism in the face of overwhelming adversity is the only heroic response to the uncertainty of the human condition. This philosophical tenant underlines debutant director Cherien Dabis' gripping portrayal of the Palestinian diaspora. Living on the West Bank, struggling to make ends meet, Muna Farah one day receives a letter containing the notice of a lifetime; she has been granted a U.S. Green Card. Reluctantly she makes the decision to leave her relatives, and journey to start anew in rural Illinois with her son. Settling in with her sister's family, Muna soon realizes that her hopes for a better life in the new country might be in vain. Instead of triumphant, Muna, a previous bank employee, feels ashamed flipping burgers at the fast-food joint next door. Humor and levity balance despair and nostalgia in this tale of struggle and displacement. Highly topical, but with a timeless quality, "Amreeka" shines as a heartwarming story about finding a space and identity of ones own. The Palestinian Diaspora is a history of dispossession, but not necessarily one of despair. REBECKA AHLBERG

Cast
Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass: Producer
Christina Piovesan, Liz Jarvis, Paul Barkin: Script
Cherien Dabis: Cinematography
Tobias Datum: Music
Kareem Roustom: Spoken language
English, Arabic: Subtitle
English