It’s been almost a year since The Attack premiered at TIFF, marking the fourth film from cinematographer turned director Ziad Doueiri. Now that the provocative drama has finished its festival run, it’s time to make a public debut, starting with a new trailer.
Based on a book by Yasmina Khadra – and adapted by Doueiri and co-writer Joelle Touma – the indie stars Ali Suliman as a respected Israeli Palestinian surgeon who has successfully settled in Tel Aviv with his wife, Siham (Reymond Amsalem). His seemingly peaceful existence is shattered, however, when he discovers that Siham may have been involved in a suicide bombing that killed nineteen people. The tragic subject matter rings all too familiar in these violent times, and should resonate with audiences here and abroad. See trailer courtesy thanks to First Showing below:
Synopsis:
Amin Jaafari (Ali Suliman) is an Israeli Palestinian surgeon, fully assimilated into Tel Aviv society. He has a loving wife, an exemplary career, and many Jewish friends. But his picture perfect life is turned upside down when a suicide bombing in a restaurant leaves nineteen dead, and the Israeli police inform him that his wife Sihem (Reymonde Amsellem), who also died in the explosion, was responsible. Convinced the official police report is wrong, Amin completely rejects their accusation but his conviction is shaken when he receives a posthumous letter from Sihem confirming her role in the carnage.
Shattered by the revelation and desperate to understand how he could have missed any signs of his wife’s murderous intentions, Amin abandons the relative security of his adopted homeland and enters the Palestinian territories in pursuit of the zealots he believes recruited her.
Once there, he plunges into ever more dangerous places and situations where he is unaccepted and unwelcome. Determined and throwing caution to the wind, he presses on seeking answers to questions he never thought he’d be asking.
By the end of his journey, Amin is forced to confront a deeper, more appalling truth than he had ever expected; his inability to see who his wife truly was and his failure to understand the reality that created her.
The Attack will begin its limited release on June 21st.
How do you think audiences will react to The Attack?