SANDSTORM

A mesmerizing debut feature, portraying the emotionally layered relationship between mother and daughter, both bound by custom while struggling to adapt to a changing world. The director spent 10 years interacting with Bedouin women, in order to narrate the story of an encounter: 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. A story of tradition, modernity, and divided family, full of complexity of character, rich detail, and subtle humor.