Amreeka (2009)

Name: Amreeka
Genre: Drama
Duration: 96 min
Cast: Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem, Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Jenna Kawar

Amreeka

PG-13

Drama

Documentary

Release Date: June 17, 2009
Director: Cherien Dabis
Cast: Nisreen Faour , Melkar Muallem , Hiam Abbass , Alia Shawkat , Jenna Kawar , Selena Haddad
Runtime: 96
Main Genre: Drama
Writers: Cherien Dabis
Tagline: Serving up the American dream.
Website: http://www.amerrika-lefilm.com/

Summary

"Amreeka" chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small town Illinois. In America, as her son navigates high school hallways the way he used to move through military checkpoints, the indomitable Muna scrambles together a new life cooking up falafel burgers as well as hamburgers at the local White Castle. Told with heartfelt humor by (award-winning) writer-director Cherien Dabis in her feature film debut, "Amreeka" is a universal journey into the lives of a family of immigrants and first generation teenagers caught between their heritage and the new world in which they now live, and the bittersweet search for a place to call home. "Amreeka" recalls Dabis’ family’s memories of their lives in rural America during the first Iraq War. The film stars Haifa-trained actress Nisreen Faour as Muna, and Melkar Muallen plays her 16-year-old son, Fadi. Also in the cast are Hiam Abbass, Alia Shawkat, Yussef Abu-Warda and Joseph Ziegler. Written and directed by Cherien Dabis, Amreeka was produced by Christina Piovesan and Paul Barkin. Alicia Sams, Dabis and Gregory Keever were executive producers; Liz Jarvis and Al-Zain Al-Sabah were co-producers.