Wednesday March 10, 2010 6:15 AM MST

Park City, Utah:

Amreeka

Director(s):
Cherien Dabis
Screenwriter(s):
Cherien Dabis
Executive Producers:
Alicia Sams, Cherien Dabis
Producers:
Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin
Coproducers:
Liz Jarvis, Al-Zain Al-Sabah
Cinematographer:
Tobias Datum
Editor:
Keith Reamer
Composer:
Kareem Roustom

Amreeka

US Narrative Feature Films
U.S.A./Canada/Kuwait,  2009, 96 mins., color

Director Cherien Dabis’s auspicious debut feature, Amreeka, is a warm and lighthearted film about one Palestinian family’s tumultuous journey into Diaspora amidst the cultural fallout of America’s war in Iraq. Muna Farah, a Palestinian single mom, struggles to maintain her optimistic spirit in the daily grind of intimidating West Bank checkpoints, the constant nagging of a controlling mother, and the haunting shadows of a failed marriage. Everything changes one day when she receives a letter informing her that her family has been granted a U.S. green card. Reluctant to leave her homeland, but realizing it may be the only way to secure a future for Fadi, her teenage son, Muna decides to quit her job at the bank and visit her relatives in Illinois to see about a new life in a land that gives newcomers a run for their money.Dabis weaves an abundance of humor and levity into this tale of struggle, displacement, and nostalgia and draws an absorbing and irresistibly charming performance from actress Nisreen Faour as Muna, who stands at the heart of this tale. Amreeka glows with the truth and magic of everyday life and signals the arrival of an exciting, new directorial talent.
CAST
Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Alia Shawkat, Joseph Ziegler
Cherien Dabis - Cherien Dabis is a 2004 graduate of Columbia University's MFA film program. Her short film, Make A Wish, screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, the Berlinale, and the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, where it picked up the press prize and an honorable mention from the jury. The film also won major awards in Dubai, Rotterdam, Cairo, and Aspen. An alumnus of the Sundance Middle East Screenwriters Lab, the FIND Directors Lab, and Tribeca All Access, Dabis is the recipient of grants from the Jerome Foundation and National Geographic.
Screenings:

Sat. Jan 17 12:15 p.m. - AMREE17CD Eccles Theatre, Park City
Sun. Jan 18 9:45 p.m. - AMREE18BN Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
Mon. Jan 19 2:15 p.m. - AMREE19RA Racquet Club, Park City
Wed. Jan 21 8:30 a.m. - AMREE21RM Racquet Club, Park City
Thu. Jan 22 8:30 p.m. - AMREE22LN Library Center Theatre, Park City