The Syrian Bride

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The Syrian Bride

2004

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Mona (Clara Khoury), a Druze bride-to-be, lives in a village on the border of Israel and Syria. Her father, political leader Hammed (Makram J. Khoury), wants her to marry a Syrian comedian, but her move to Syria would likely be a permanent one, considering the political unrest between the two countries. The wedding planning is a nightmare, and tensions are high -- especially when Mona's siblings, who have moved on to new countries and complicated relationships, come home before the big day.

Critics Consensus

A humane and empathic work, The Syrian Bride depicts the personal impact of politics upon individuals.

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Political dramas and soap operas don't have much in common, which makes this hybrid as surprising as it is entertaining.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 22, 2006

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

While the film's depiction of bureaucratic frustrations and familial woe are universal, the characters themselves can be difficult to warm up to and often seem as arid as their surroundings.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2006

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

An engrossing absurdist comedy.

Rated: 3/4

May 19, 2006

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

The narrative remains on the surface, executed between the cliche and the predictable. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Jul 20, 2020

Full Review

Maria Garcia

Film Journal International

Unrelentingly pedantic, it's also utterly humorless.

Mar 1, 2007

Full Review

Chris Hewitt

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Riklis performs a delicate balancing act, juggling a half-dozen plotlines, each of which is made vivid by his terrific cast.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 22, 2006

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VoicesofEden- A

Just watched this film for the fifth time. The last time I watched it was with Druze friends in Galilee - some 15 years ago. Given the extreme politics of recent years - this film has become even more precious because both the Israeli and Palestinian co-producers so sensitively address the human side of political craziness. It shows the power of kindness and humanity - in the midst of pain that bureaucracy so easily can bring. I liked watching it this fifth time - as much as the first...actually even better. Hiam Abbas and Clara Khoury are fantastic actresses.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/15/25

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Audience Member

(***): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Interesting throughout.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

I enjoyed the movie, almost hits home!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

A poignant drama that effectively builds up the struggle to lead a normal life and experience little joys and sorrows that would otherwise be basic human rights were it not for the politics of geographic boundaries between Syria and Israel...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Audience Member

Heartbreaking but well told story of a wedding across political lines. I don't think anyone will forget the very poignant depcition of a bride stranded at a border crossing unable to be a participant in her happy day.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sensitive drama of a Druze family dealing with political and filias struggles on the day that a young woman must leave her "country", her community and her family forever.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Eran Riklis

Director

Hiam Abbass

Amal

Makram Khoury

Hammed

Clara Khoury

Mona

Ashraf Barhom

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Synopsis

Mona (Clara Khoury), a Druze bride-to-be, lives in a village on the border of Israel and Syria. Her father, political leader Hammed (Makram J. Khoury), wants her to marry a Syrian comedian, but her move to Syria would likely be a permanent one, considering the political unrest between the two countries. The wedding planning is a nightmare, and tensions are high -- especially when Mona's siblings, who have moved on to new countries and complicated relationships, come home before the big day.

Director: Eran Riklis
Producer: Bettina Brokemper, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Eran Riklis, Michael Eckelt
Screenwriter: Suha Arraf, Eran Riklis
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (DVD): Dec 20, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA): $375.6K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital