Modern Palestinian women face dramatic choices. Trapped between a stalled peace process and an increasingly strong Islamic movement, many of these women find themselves confronted by a host of new challenges. Filmed on the West Bank and in Gaza, the documentary penetrates deeply into a facet of Palestinian life that has hitherto been concealed. It includes interviews with militant but heavily veiled female activists, one of whom speaks out on what she sees as the role of women in a free Palestinian homeland. At Birzeit University we hear from a group of young intellectuals who likewise support the Islamic Front. They too, for ideological and symbolic reasons choose to wear the veil.

But this new Islamic wave is also a source of conflict. To Immrandah, a grandmother, for example, politics are of no concern, but she insists on her right to worship her god, Allah, in her own way. In Gaza, young Reem has to resort to subterfuge and compromise in order to be allowed to pursue her chosen career. And two sisters, Saida and Reema, found the pressure so unbearable that they finally fled.

MESA, 2001