In a Bedouin village in Southern Israel, Layla’s father, Suliman, is about to marry his second – much younger – wife, and her mother, Jalila, is in the awkward position of hosting the festivities. Meanwhile, Layla is thinking about her own romance – she is dating a boy from another tribe, a strictly forbidden liaison that would shame the family. Burying the indignity of Suliman and his new bride living next door, Jalila tries to forbid Layla from seeing her boyfriend. But Layla is determined to create a different life for herself than her mother’s.
Winner of 6 Ophir (Israeli Academy) Awards and Israel's official submission for the Academy Awards
2016 Best Picture and Best Director with 11 Nominations; Sundance Film Festival
2016 Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic section
"As a director, Ms. Zexer has a fine eye for the texture of daily life, which she fills in with resonant physical details and sweeping, scene-setting views." See more of the NYTimes review of Sand Storm
MFA screening (11/12) sponsored by Hadassah Brandeis Institute
Somerville screening (11/15) sponsored by New Israel Fund