The Present (Film)

Analysis / Interpretation / Press

Synopsis:

On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, how easy would it be to go shopping?

Each morning, Yusef, a doting father-of-one, has no other choice but to queue for hours and navigate the harrowing Checkpoint 300, an infamous, crowded Israeli crossing point between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to get to work on time. But, on his wedding anniversary, Yusef has arranged to pick up a new fridge for his wife, Noor, and even though the store is in Jerusalem, he is determined to endure the dehumanising process, the armed soldiers' scrutinising gaze, and even humiliation, to go shopping with his young daughter, Yasmine. Is this just the beginning of a long, challenging day?—Nick Riganas

Source:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11474480/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl