Writing & Directing

Haya, a young woman caught between tradition and independence, travels with her mother, Eman, and grandmother, Farida, on the way to the airport in Syria. A pit stop at a shabby rest area takes a turn when a call to Eman's phone from "Shireen" raises Haya's suspicions. Stealing the phone, Haya discovers "Shireen" is a man. In the bathroom, as Eman and Farida perform wudu, Haya tries to slip the phone back unnoticed, but another intimate message confirms her worst fears. When Eman finds the phone in Haya's jacket, Haya confronts Farida, only to learn her grandmother has known all along. Feeling betrayed, Haya buys a pack of cigarettes-her silent rebellion. Back in the car, surrounded by tension, Haya lights a cigarette, defiantly shattering the image of the perfect Syrian daughter.

Mariam is looking for her cat when a bombing destroys her home. She survives, but her family does not. In hospital, strangers tend to her injuries and a journalist tells her story in a language she cannot understand. Later, at a refugee camp, Mariam is still thinking about the cat she left behind. She slips away and returns to the ruins of her house, determined to find it.