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Sand Storm

Play trailer Poster for Sand Storm 2016 1h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In Southern Israel, a teen's (Lamis Ammar) forbidden love affair challenges the traditions of her Bedouin mother and father.
Sand Storm

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Sand Storm marks an impressive first feature for debuting writer-director Elite Zexer that offers a perceptive -- and crucial -- look at patriarchal traditions.

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Critics Reviews

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas The Blue Lenses 08/25/2018
There is a grim sense of inevitability that runs through Sand Storm, yet Jalila's incandescent spirit contains the hope that the old ways are soon to be a thing of the past. Go to Full Review
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 11/10/2016
The movie is like a study in prisoner psychology. Go to Full Review
Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times 10/06/2016
It's set in the heart of the desert, but the disturbances of the quietly impressive "Sand Storm" rage not in the natural world but in the intimate corners of the human heart. Go to Full Review
David Bax Battleship Pretension 01/05/2021
As things progress, it begins to seem that such anger is partially what Zexer aims to provoke. And, from there, the empathy follows... Go to Full Review
Fernanda Solórzano Letras Libres 05/08/2020
It's not a naive story... It's the story of a dilemma and how a final decision is not always the most gratifying, but it's the one that will have significant repercussions in the long run. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Jorge Ignacio Castillo The Canadian Crew 01/28/2020
3/5
Sand Storm brings attention to the limited opportunities women have in this environment and hints at the resilience of patriarchal tradition. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Terry M 10/19/2023 A dreary, sad story of a stupid family who's father is bound by religious dogma. See more 02/05/2022 I don't think a movie has ever evoked such visceral feelings of anger in me. It is a strong film, but I cannot give it 5 stars on principle. I was so disappointed in the outcome for Layla, but so proud of Jalila all the same. The writers had me very frustrated with Jalila in the beginning, and Suliman seemed endearing. But true character shines through in the face of hard decisions. Not sure I would watch again - I found the ending so deeply disappointing. Guess that's the whole point. See more georgan g 11/22/2020 Hard to watch. Good acting that shows the truth about patriarchal societies. See more 07/07/2020 It took me a lot to care for what has happening for most of the movie and the movie is not that long. Drags like a dead mule. I am the one to blame for trying to watch this "art" films that think showing others culture for 1 hour and a half is enough. See more 07/06/2020 Women must build their own way of life instead of being a serf by men. Layla is a strong girl like her mother. Unfortunately, Layla's faith not as good as her guts. A movie with a deeper meaning of a woman psychologically in a world of masculine supervisor. Polygamy sometimes can be offending for women because women have heartburning in their personalities. See more Rolando R @Rolydamian 05/31/2020 Slow. A sick culture that should disappear. See more Read all reviews
Sand Storm

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Southern Israel, a teen's (Lamis Ammar) forbidden love affair challenges the traditions of her Bedouin mother and father.
Director
Elite Zexer
Screenwriter
Elite Zexer
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 28, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$64.0K
Runtime
1h 27m