Sufat Chol (2016)

At the beginning of the film, the young student Layla drives her father, Suliman, to her Bedouin village for his second wedding. Just before they reach the new house, they switch seats, and her father drives the car the final few meters. While Suliman’s second wife is already on her way, Layla and her mother Jalila, Suliman’s first wife, try to set up the bed for the newlyweds. In the process, Jalila tears her dress. Since the wedding guests are already arriving and there is no time to fetch another dress from the old house, Layla gives her mother her own dress. While the bride sits apart, the women dance exuberantly. Then Layla’s cell phone rings; she has left it in the dress her mother is now wearing. Jalila answers the call and learns that her daughter has a boyfriend at university who belongs to another Bedouin tribe. After the celebration, she confronts her daughter and forbids her from seeing the young man again. Meanwhile, the oldest of Layla’s younger sisters follows Suliman to the men’s celebration. There she hears her father arrange for his eldest daughter to marry one of the young men from the village. The next morning, Suliman and his second wife leave for their honeymoon. Jalila wants to keep her daughter at home to prevent her from contacting her boyfriend. Layla leaves the house anyway and goes to the university, where she meets her boyfriend. He wants to elope with her and says he expects his uncle to help them. When Layla returns home that evening, she and her mother confront each other again. Layla assumes her father will understand her situation if she tells him about her love, while Jalila knows that her husband will not take it into consideration. On the day Sulinam returns from his honeymoon, Layla’s boyfriend appears at the family home. The two men meet and, among other things, talk about how some houses belonging to the young man’s relatives have been destroyed by the Israelis. Suliman nevertheless refuses to acknowledge the relationship and feels ashamed by his daughter. He tells Layla that the decision has been made: she will marry the man from the village. Jalila, however, rebels against this decision because she wants a better match for her daughter. As a result, Suliman repudiates her, and she has to return to her parents’ home. There, she accuses her own mother of not supporting her against her husband and of already being prejudiced against her. Because the family cannot store food without electricity, Layla has to get provisions from the house where her father now lives with his second wife. The second wife advises Layla to give in, since she surely does not want to end up like her. Layla then tries to run away, but breaks down in tears just before she is due to meet her boyfriend and turns back. She goes to her father and offers to go through with the wedding if he will take her mother back. Suliman initially refuses, saying he cannot do that. But when Layla points out that he has a choice, he drives with her to his first wife. The film ends with Layla’s wedding. She waits for her bridegroom in the new house. When he arrives, she criticizes the wall color, and he tries to suggest a solution to her liking. Her sister watches them through the window.