Origin: Israel France | Fiction | Director: Elite Zexer | 87 minutes

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Sand Storm

Elite Zexer Israel/France, 87 min. april 2016, Arabic, English Subtitles.

As wedding festivities get underway in a Bedouin village in Israel, Jalila
finds herself in the awkward position of hosting her husband Suliman's
marriage to a second, much younger wife. During the celebration, Jalila
stumbles across eldest daughter Layla's involvement with a boy from her
university-a strictly forbidden liaison that would shame the family.
Burying the indignity of Suliman and his new bride living next door, Jalila
also tries to contain Layla's situation by clamping down on her. But
younger and possessed of a boundless spirit, Layla sees a different life
for herself.

A story of tradition, modernity, and divided family, Sand Storm upends
expectations. At its core, Elite Zexer's mesmerizing debut feature portrays
the emotionally layered relationship between mother and daughter, both
bound by custom while struggling to adapt to a changing world. Zexer's
artful storytelling derives its authenticity-its complexity of character,
rich detail, and subtle humor-from the 10 years she's spent interacting
with Bedouin women. Her fidelity to their experience allows her to
beautifully convey the spirit of profound ambivalence Jalila and Layla
share.

http://www.sundance.org/projects/sand-storm

Trailer: https://youtu.be/TRYFULFXz8g

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View trailer