Amira

Amira’s father, Nuwar, is part of a Palestinian resistance group and has been locked up in prison for years where he is considered to be a dangerous terrorist. But still he became a father during his imprisonment. His sperm was smuggled out of the prison and injected into Warda, the mother, by Palestinian doctors. Amira is an adolescent girl who idolizes her father and who is proud to be the daughter of a Palestinian hero. Together with her mother, they keep a healthy long distance relationship. Her life will change dramatically when Nuwar wants another baby. His sperm is smuggled out of the prison again, but when the Palestinian doctors examine Nuwar’s sperm, it seems he is sterile and cannot conceive children. Who then is Amira’s father? Everyone turns to Warda, what is she hiding? Amira herself becomes a pariah within the Palestinian community and she decides to figure out who her father is herself.

In this intimate, claustrophobic drama all the plot-twists keep on coming, but thanks to the splendid acting by the main cast and the skilful use of the camera, the story is still plausible.

The film was chosen to be the Jordan selection for the Academy Awards, after being successfully introduced at the Venice Film Festival, and programmed at the El Gouna Film Festival (Egypt) and the Carthage Film Festival (Tunisia). Even though part of the story is based in facts, lots of Palestinians find that the ultimate plot-twist is offensive to their fellow countrymen who are locked up in Israel and have rallied to boycott the film. Hamas even called it ‘service to the Zionist enemy’. As a result of the controversy, Jordan pulled the film from the Oscar-selection.