SHARMILL FILMS: Established 1967 ...personalised distribution and exhibition of connoisseur films

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.

- Yahoo!7Movies

Muna Farah, a Palestinian single mum, 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.. Do they have what it takes to successfully occupy the heartland?

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.

Amreeka made its world premiere in dramatic competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It has since screened in Directors’ Fortnight at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where it was awarded the prestigious critics’ prize by the Fipresci International Federation of Film Critics.

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