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| AMREEKA |
Year: 2009
USA: National Geographic Films
UK: Dogwoof
Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia
Shawkat, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Joseph Ziegler, Amer Hlehel, Selena
Haddad, Jenna Kawar, Suheila Muallem
Director: Cherien Dabis
Countries: USA / Canada
USA & UK: 96 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for brief drug use involving teens, and some
language
UK Certificate: NC
USA Release Date: 4 September 2009 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 13 May 2011 (Limited Release)
Movie
reviews
Official US
website
Synopsis
AMREEKA chronicles the adventures of Muna (Nisreen Faour), a single
mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi (Melkar Muallem), her
teenage son, to America where she dreams of an exciting future in
the promised land of small town Illinois. In America, as her son
navigates high school hallways the way he used to move through
military checkpoints, the indomitable Muna scrambles together a new
life cooking up falafel burgers as well as hamburgers at the local
White Castle telling her family she works at the bank next door. As
it’s spring 2003, and America is on the cusp of invading Iraq, how
will Muna and Fadi adjust to their new life?
Although set in small town USA, AMREEKA’s themes of alienation and
belonging are deeply resonant here in the UK with our large
multicultural population. As Dabis explains: “I was born in Omaha,
Nebraska, and grew up in rural Ohio and Jordan. When people ask me
where I’m from, it’s always a confusing question. For most of my
life I felt like I wasn’t American enough for the Americans, nor
was I Arab enough for the Arabs. And as a Palestinian, I inherited
my father’s quandary in not having a nation or a national
identity, which only exacerbated my sense of not belonging anywhere.
My own desire for a place to call home, a place where I belonged,
was always a very big part of my identity.” AMREEKA is a film that
will touch us all.
Winner – FIPRESCI Prize – 2009 Cannes film Festival
Official Selection – Director’s Fortnight - 2009 Cannes film
Festival
Nominated – Grand Jury Prize – 2009 Sundance Film Festival
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