Director Cherien Dabis's auspicious début feature, Amreeka, is a warm and light-hearted film about one Palestinian family's tumultuous journey into Diaspora amidst the cultural fallout of America's war in Iraq.
Muna Farah (Nisreen Faour), a Palestinian single mum, struggles to maintain her optimistic spirit in the daily grind of intimidating West Bank checkpoints, the constant nagging of a controlling mother, and the haunting shadows of a failed marriage. Everything changes one day when she receives a letter informing her that her family has been granted a US Green Card. Reluctant to leave her homeland, but realising it may be the only way to secure a future for Fadi (Melkar Muallem), her teenage son, Muna decides to quit her job at the bank and visit her relatives in Illinois to see about a new life in a land that gives newcomers a run for their money... Do they have what it takes to successfully occupy the heartland?
Special Agent Matti
It was established in The lemon tree (Etz limon) that it sucks to be a Palestinian in Israel. Amreeka shows us that it sucks to be a Palestinian in the USA, too.
The drama movie Amreeka is directed by Cherien Dabis and stars Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass.
M (Drug use and coarse language)
96 minutes (1:36 hours)
Film: 19 November 2009
