200 Meters

Because of his job and the fact that Mustafa declined an Israeli passport, he and his wife live in two separate villages. They only live 200 meters from each other, but they are separated by a wall. Salwa lives with her three children in a Palestinian village on Israeli soil. Every night Mustafa and Salwa wish each other good night by switching the lights on and off on their balconies. One day Mustafa receives a phone call to inform him his son had an accident. Mustafa wants to cross the border whatever it takes, as soon as possible, but he can’t get a permit and he has to pay a lot of money to cross the border illegally. A distance of 200 meters suddenly becomes an odyssey of 200 kilometers.

The impact of the wall on daily life of the Palestinians becomes very apparent in this film, and results in an emotional and tight drama. It could be the story of thousands of other Palestinians. This first-time director has an excellent sense of real reactions of people in intense situations, and an eye for drama and tension. The famous actor, Ali Suliman, is successful in making you part of this desperate race against the clock of Mustafa. But after conquering all the obstacles, Mustafa’s smile still remains, because he is the personification of hope and resilience.