The Stranger

A Druse village in the occupied Golan Heights, close to the Syrian border. Adnan (Ashraf Barhom), a doctor without license, is in crisis. He drinks to forget his family problems and his feeling of being physically and psychologically trapped by his own fate and that of his region. His life takes a new turn as he encounters a wounded man in the Syrian war. The young man's fight and thirst for freedom gives Adnan a purpose. He decides to help him, even if this means going against the rules and expectations of the village community. Ameer Fakher Eldin's strikingly crafted debut is a powerful depiction of the oppressiveness of ongoing occupation. (pf)