By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Hosam Abu Dan
Starring: Feras Al Masri | Ghassan Salem | Mary Ziyara | Nawaf Abu Amra
Year: 2026
Running time: 77
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43743832/
Michael says: “Director Hosum Abu Dan makes his feature film debut (after multiple documentaries) about a father and teen-aged daughter living in a refugee camp in Gaza after losing their mother and siblings in a bombing. Shot in an actual camp this film is a remarkable look at the pain, suffering, hardships and sadly greed taking place currently during this war. Not only that, it’s an incredible coming-of-age tale — the title of the film referring to the age of the main character.
“Reviewing films like this is always difficult, as as well as the four principal actors in the film, many of the background characters are actual refugees living in the camps. In the live, online q&a after the screening, we learned that one of the more dangerous scenes, dozens of people living in the camps, swarming a supply truck without heed of the danger, was an actual occurrence. All the actors were great, but lead actor Mary Ziayra did a remarkable job conveying the pain of her situation, as well as the tough resilience of a teenager. A remarkable achievement. 4 1/2 cats”