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200 Meters (2020)

200 Meters (2020)

7.5

A father stops at nothing to visit his injured son in this raw, thoughtful road drama

Movie

Italy, Jordan
Arabic, English, Hebrew
Adventure, Drama
2020

TLDR

Man, this was stressful. Can’t imagine having to do this everyday.

What it's about

Palestinian construction worker Mustafa lives away from his wife Salwa and their children. Though his family are all Israeli citizens, Mustafa refuses to obtain a permit to live with them, since he already has a work permit to visit daily. However, when his son is injured, Mustafa is denied entrance on a technicality, bringing him to figure out how to smuggle himself on the other side of the wall.

The take

How far would you go for the people that you love? Regardless of the answer, whether that would be one mile, five hundred, or five hundred more, the distance won’t matter if there’s something that blocks you. 200 Meters is a drive with the titular length, it’s not even longer than a mile. But it feels so much longer. Writer-director Ameen Nayfeh does just straightforwardly present these hurdles– the permits required, the time limits allowed, and the tollways guarded– but that’s just because the actual path to get there isn’t straightforward at all, transforming a drive to somewhat closer to an intense rescue operation with the plot, the score, and the performances by the cast. 200 Meters isn’t as harrowing as dramas about occupation are, but it’s because of this that Nayfeh can delve into the day-to-day nuances people like Mustafa must face.

What stands out

Ali Suliman. This film wouldn’t work without him.

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