Three Promises

Dir. Yousef Srouji. 2023, 61 mins. Palestine/Lebanon/U.S. In Arabic with English subtitles. DCP. In the early 2000s, Suha begins filming her daily life in Bethlehem as the Israeli army lays siege to the West Bank in retaliation over the second intifada. Overwhelmed by the nights spent huddling in the basement for safety, trying to soothe the anguish of her two young children, she bargains with God that she will flee Palestine if they survive the night. When morning comes, she finds herself unwilling to leave, immobilized by the impossible choice between physical safety and emotional upheaval. In 2017, her son Yousef discovers this hidden archive, reconnecting with a suppressed past. Together, they contemplate why she remained for so long in a ravaged Palestine, and he decides to complete the film she began when he was just a boy. Beyond the heartrending portrait of everyday life in times of war, Srouji’s film presents the staggering beauty of a mother’s love and a son’s determination to preserve their history. 

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