Monday 28 October 2019
10.00 am & 6.30 pm
Directed by Muayad Alayan
Crime/Drama
Palestine/Germany (subtitled)
127 mins
MA15+
Sarah is Israeli and runs a café in West Jerusalem. Saleem is Palestinian from East Jerusalem and works as a deliveryman. Despite being worlds apart, Sarah and Saleem risk everything as they embark on an illicit affair that could tear apart their unsuspecting respective families. When a risky late-night tryst goes awry and threatens to expose them, the two of them look on helplessly as their frantic efforts to salvage what’s left of their lives further escalate things. Caught up in the occupying machinery and socio-political pressure, Sarah and Saleem find themselves trapped in a web of deceit and not even the truth looks able to stop it.
The film has won many international film awards, including Best Feature Film (Seattle International Film Festival) and Audience Award (Rotterdam International Film Festival).
Director Muayad Alayan, working from a screenplay written by his brother, Rami, has come up with a powerful, well-acted suspense film. – David Stratton, The Australian
This frequently taut psychosocial drama with political thriller elements deftly conveys the tensions, both physical and mental, between West and East Jerusalem. Jay Weissberg, Variety
A tremendously rewarding experience … has the heft and moral complexity of a smart novel … Highly recommended – C B Johnson, ABC Radio