Rabia

I highly recommend this movie for any movie lovers out there. I saw the film a few months ago and I was captivated from the very beginning to the very end. As a woman watching this film I couldn't help but to Sympathize with her pain and struggles in life to be "heard" and my husband was fascinated by her power and her strength to overcome her obstacles. The story is beautifully written, and it allows you to see the both side of the story no matter what religion or country you come from. Ali Hasan has done a fantastic job with the film and I was blown away by the lead actress Hanieh Jodat's performance. I look forward to seeing more from both Ali and Hanieh in the future.

The most challenging thing about this film was that you found yourself rooting for the bad guy. After you see everything that Rabia has gone through in her life -- how she has been rejected by one man after another culminating with her husband (played by an actor from the film THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) throwing her out of the house because Rabia is infertile, you almost want her to succeed in her terrorist endeavor. I also admired that she wanted to show the men of her community (who had so rejected her) that she could fight for Palestine too, that she doesn't have to be a man to help the cause. I'm surprised that a man wrote this. It shows great insight into being a woman, a strong woman challenged by mediocre circumstances. I know a lot of people who would be offended by the content, but it is dealt with in a very thoughtful way, and I think it just shows how the cruelties of society can cause terrorism. Regardless, it's a good story at the end of the day -- with great cinematography, great acting, especially by the lead actress, and great direction.

When I went to the Sundance Film Festival one of the organizers said the mark of a great film is that it stays with you long after you have seen it. Well, this is that sort of film which stays with you after you watch it, and makes you think about it more. In fact I have thought about it a lot since I first saw it. I can see why it has won as many awards as it has. Everything about it is great, the actors, the sets, the way it all unfolds. Even though it is a short film, it really packs in a lot of story into that short time. You really understand the protagonist's motivation, and see where she is coming from. Definitely, a must see.

It took me a few weeks to bring myself to watch this movie. Even though I knew it was a relatively short film, I read the back of the DVD case, got the gist of the plot, and accordingly avoided watching it. I basically dreaded such a direct reminder of suicide bombing and the many profound, multifaceted, and deep-rooted human failures such an act highlights.

I was impressed immediately by the film's cinematography and the physical beauty of Rabia, who in the first scene of the movie is duct-taping explosives to her waist. From this point on, we follow Rabia through her fateful day to her bombing target, a beach in Israel.

A series of flashbacks throughout the film serve to provide meaningful subtext to Rabia's act. Suicide bombing is arguably among the most distressing manifestations of the human gridlock presented by the Israel-Palestine question. Writer/Director Ali Hasan gives us purview into the suffering of Rabia's life that perhaps makes her dejected decision appear less arbitrary, less demonic, and more human.

The film reminds the audience of the innumerable previous conditions that contribute to any human act. It is worth watching; a viewer ought to be mentally prepared for the subject matter before pushing "play".

Director Muhammad Ali Hasan has taken on a tall order by trying to convince American viewers to empathize with a Muslim suicide bomber. Fortunately, he fulfilled that goal admirably by creating Rabia, a multifaceted character that viewers can make a deep connection with. As with most good films, this one is rooted with a powerful story written into a strong script. It also helps that Hanieh Jodat turns in a fantastic performance as the title character. The viewer can see her pain and inner struggles as she also struggles with outside forces trying to stop her from accomplishing her goal: one which we at the same time hope she doesn't accomplish, and that we hope she doesn't get arrested or killed trying to succeed at. This is a film that stimulates both the heart and the brain. I recommend it.