MOVIE: AMREEKA

Muna is a middle-aged, single mother living amongst the hostilities of the West Bank. Daily life consists of appeasing her nagging mother, raising Fadi, her teenage son and a two hour drive to work. One day, she receives a letter stating her Green Card for America has finally been granted. They arrive there feeling both hope and nervousness, but their start should go smoothly as they will live with Muna’s sister, Raghda and her family. However, the dream life doesn’t come easily. Although she has extensive experience in finance, Muna cannot find work. Fadi encounters prejudice at school. They must also navigate their way through a domestic space under stress from financial hardship and discrimination deriving from the incidents of 9/11. While Amreeka probably won’t have any lasting effect, its show-don’t-tell study of displacement is interesting enough to hold your attention and empathy. The concluding scene at an Arabic restaurant offers hope to the tragedy of these lives, suggesting true belonging comes from family and a place within. (MP)