In Amreeka

Amreeka.  I missed this independent gem when it the ATL last year.  A constant running complaint I have is the short time such films seem to spend in this town.  If I didn't have Netflix, I might miss them altogether.  Amreeka tells the story of a Palestinian woman and her son who move to midwestern America in hopes for better opportunities.  Their life in the West Bank is complicated by check points, guns, and violence.  They hope things will be better in Amreeka (Arabic for America).  But instead, they trade one set of complications for another.  The mother can't find a job in banking and must settle for a job in fast food and the son is constantly teased as being a terrorist.  There are glimmers of hope and one thing rings true-family bonds are the strongest and most important no matter where we lay our heads.  If you get a chance, check out Amreeka which is now on dvd.