200 Meters

200 Meters

Directed by Ameen Nayfeh
Palestine | 2020 | Narrative
96 minutes | Arabic, English & Hebrew

A Palestinian man, Mustafa (Ali Suliman, “Paradise Now,” “Jack Ryan”), and his wife live 200 meters apart in villages separated by the Israeli border wall. One day he gets a call every parent dreads: His son has been injured in an accident. Rushing to cross the Israeli checkpoint, Mustafa is denied on a technicality. But a father’s love won’t give up, and he will do anything to reach his son. A 200-meter distance becomes a 200-kilometer odyssey, as Mustafa, left with no choice, attempts to smuggle himself to the other side of the wall. This heart-wrenching drama was the winner of 15 festival awards in 2021. Variety writes: “One of the pleasures of anticipating an Ali Suliman performance is knowing he’ll bring depth and complexity to every role. His character in ‘200 Meters,’ a father of three taking huge risks to get to his son in the hospital, doesn’t expand his repertoire, but it gives the movie its heart. Debuting writer-director Ameen Nayfeh’s depiction of the shameful hurdles Palestinians must overcome in their daily lives rings true. Part family drama, part road movie, the film — which landed the audience prize in Venice Days — works best when drawing out how one man’s story is a reflection of a collective experience.”