Huda is bringing shame on her Christian Israeli-Arab family. She is thirty years old and unmarried. Her younger sister would also be bringing shame on her family if they knew of her behaviour with Zohir, the landlord's son. Then Alex, a Jewish Russian new immigrant, moves into the apartment block. Against all odds, a love affair between Huda and Alex develops.
Set in Haifa, the story is a simple Romeo and Juliet story. But unlike the Shakespearean classic, the film is not about feuding families. It is a humane story, exploring the complexities of love and simple survival of ordinary people against a backdrop of the wider political situation. But it is not a political film the film does not seek to make judgements or take sides. Ultimately it is about human relationships and day to day existence.
There are times when the affair teeters on the unbelievable, and whilst inevitable, the ending is a bit obvious. But all in all this is a film worth seeing, a film that tries to transcend the politics and present an insight into the lives of a Christian Israeli Arab family - families and people that are rarely the subject matter.
