02x08 - A Call from God

[bunniefuu]

[Arabic music playing]

Thank you.

[mutters disapprovingly]

Why? We paid for the flights.

[mutters indistinctly]

What do you mean? I'm not...

[in Arabic] It's inappropriate.

Why is it inappropriate?

Put Kleenex on the toilet seat.

[Sameer in English] Okay.

- [in Arabic] I don't want any.
- Mmm.

[praying indistinctly]

[music stops]

[chuckling]

["Hevenu Shalom Aleichem" playing]

Shalom.

Come in.

Welcome home.

It's yours.

[in Arabic] Finally.

[in English] Enjoy it.

[settlers] Peace. No more fighting.

- Peace.
- Peace.

- Bye!
- Be well!

[people bidding farewell]

[settler 1] Peace, my friend.

[settler 2] Goodbye!

Ooh. [chuckles]

Oh, that's a great idea.

[speaking Hebrew]

[liquid bubbling]

[in English] Isn't it fantastic?

Yeah, it is.

It's amazing what you can do
when you change your mind.

You can create all sorts of happy things.

Yeah, that's nice.

No more g*ns.

No more w*r.

I'm in my happy place.

And if you're ever in trouble,
just ask for a key.

That's right. A key.

A key.

A key.

[upbeat music playing]

[female pilot] Ladies and gentlemen,
we have begun our descent into Tel Aviv.

Flight attendants,
please prepare for arrival.

[in Arabic] Oh, Mama, this photo.

[in English] Remember this video camera?

- [Yusra] Yes.
- I wonder what happened to it.

I have no idea, mama.

It was a long time ago.

- Hamoodi.
- Huh?

Are you sure you dropped off
Crystal's Meow Munch?

Yes, Meow Munch,
your 20-page instructional--

It's 18 pages. Don't exaggerate.

Okay, 18 pages.

Maria has it all.

You mean my sister-in-law?

I don't know why you calling her that?

Because it's true.

[Yusra chuckles]

Look, we need to go over
the security again.

Yes. Yes.

Now, when they come and ask me,

"Are you a t*rror1st?"

- Shh.
- [softly] Okay.

I will say, "No. I'm not."

This is very serious.

Did you delete your WhatsApp?

I did it in front of you.

Yeah, but did you download it again?

No.

Look, I'm just doing
what Uncle asked me to do.

Be polite and relax,

but don't relax too much.

All right?

Maintain eye contact.

Good posture.

Never cross your legs.

And then don't forget, smile.

- Okay.
- That's too much, Mama.

- That's too much. What are you doing?
- Like this?

- That's not a smile.
- No, no, mama.

No, look at me. Like this. You look.

Mama, you don't ever smile like that.
You look constipated.

You know what? Just try not to frown.

- Okay? No frowning.
- [Yusra sighs]

Just regular face.

[Yusra softly] Okay.

[woman] You get your green card,
and immediately come to Israel.

- Why?
- To visit my family.

- Your parents were born here?
- Yes.

- What was your father's name?
- Mustafa Al-Najjar.

- And his father?
- Abdullah.

And your great-grandfather,
what was his name?

[scoffs]

No?

Ibrahim.

That was his name.

Great-grandfather's name is Ibrahim?

[woman] Give me your bag.

- What is this sh*t?
- It's a keffiyeh.

- How old are you?
- Forty.

I need your phone.

What's your code?

I don't have a code,
because I have nothing to hide.

- Do you wear this?
- I didn't mean to pack that.

- Why do you have this?
- I like to go birdwatching.

What is your occupation?

[chuckles] You said "occupation."

You trying to be funny?

I work in telecom.

But who employs you, the company?

- Houston Mobile.
- What is that, a cell phone shop?

You sell phone cases,
screen protectors, things like that?

Way more than that.
Import, export, LCD screens,

different parts for different phones.
It's a wide variety.

I understand.
You want to sound like a big deal.

This is temporary.
I'm bringing my business back.

Okay, and what business is that?

Olive oil.

I have one question.

Where are you from?

I'm Israeli.

No, I mean,
where did your grandparents came from?

My grandparents are from Spain.

Spain.

I was born here. My family was born here.

Yet, you're questioning me.

What is your point?

Point was made.

["Palestine the Beautiful" by El-Funoun
Palestinian Dance Troupe playing]

[Mo] This partition wall is monstrous.
It just goes for miles.

[breathing deeply]

[Yusra in Arabic]
Look at the artistry of Palestinians.

This is all resistance.

[in English] It's struggle and pain.

They just want to be free of this w*r.

[Mo] Yeah. "Make Hummus Not Walls."

[Sameer] Mama, why do those houses
have red rooftops?

Those, habibi, are almustawtanat.
Settlements.

This is our country.
See how beautiful it is!

[in Arabic] It's gorgeous.

[Yusra in English]
Look at the olive trees.

[Sameer] What's happening?

[Mo] Looks like
we're pulling up to the checkpoint.

[Sameer] Hey, how come
we don't have to go in that lane?

[Yusra] Because we have Israeli
plate numbers on the car, ya mama.

[soldier speaking Hebrew]

[soldier instructing]

[soldier speaking Hebrew]

[man complaining]

Hey.

[soldier shouting orders]

[soldier speaking Hebrew]

[Yusra in English] This is too much.

[Mo] I'm already sick of
these checkpoints, and we just got here.

Ah, I'm just glad we're almost there.

I can't wait to go
to Grandpa and Grandma's house.

[Yusra in Arabic] Me too.

Look around.

[in English] This is all
my childhood memories here.

[family in Arabic] They've arrived!
They've arrived!

[Lameece laughing] Allah!

[Halima] Thank God for your safe arrival.

Hello! Hello!

[Yusra and Halima speaking Arabic]

[Hadi] Welcome home, dear.

My beloved, thank God you're safe!

[Mo] Come, come!

[speaking Arabic]

Please.

[Hadi] Kids, come help me!

- No, Mohammed.
- No, let me carry.

- You had a long journey.
- It's no big deal.

[excited chatter]

Did you prepare my three favorite dishes?

[Mo] Bless your hands
for this feast, Aunties. We tired you out.

Stuffed zucchini, grape leaves,
and chicken, God bless.

[Halima] Enjoy, my dear.

- [Mo] So, Uncle, did you cook anything?
- [Ali] My contribution is eating.

He asked if he did anything!

Actually, I have to take you
to try this burger spot.

It's the most delicious burger in Burin.

- [speaking Arabic] Hamoodi.
- Yes, Auntie?

See everything we're eating?

These are your grandmother's recipes.

- Really?
- Yes.

We have all these recipes in a book
with her original handwriting.

What do you think of that?

[in English] You have to protect it,

because I know someone
that'd be happy to steal that.

- [Halima] With pleasure.
- [Lameece] Hamooda, my dear.

[in English] Why is your wife
not here with us?

[Halima] Lameece...

She doesn't like us?

- [in Arabic] What is it?
- Lameece!

[Mo chuckling]

[in Arabic] What? What did I say?

[in English] Fake marriage.

No. According to the US government,
it's real, yeah.

Yeah. He lied to the US Government.

- [in Arabic] So I can get the green card.
- Oh, just for that. But it's legal.

Oh!

And the government never lies.

[Mo in Arabic] I know that's right.
You get me.

How's Nadia? You haven't told me.

She's doing great.
She misses you all and wanted to come.

But her son, Osama, has school.

- So she couldn't make it.
- We miss her a lot.

Hopefully, next year she can make it.

But really, we're glad you're here.

[in English] We need all the help
we can get this year with the harvest.

But in all honesty,
I was thinking about something, Uncle.

If we get the olive oil from Burin
and imported it to Houston,

we can bottle it and sell it there.

[in Arabic] My dear,
we're forbidden from our land,

except for two days a year
to harvest the olives.

[Mo] Why?

We need to have a permit.

Without a permit,
we can't even get to our land.

[in English] What? Why?

Why?

[in Arabic] The army claims
it's to protect us from the settlers.

Meanwhile, the settlers move freely
on our land, and we can't even get to it.

[in English] It's our land, though.

[all] Hmm.

I was thinking we could all go
to Jerusalem and pray together.

[in Arabic] They are not allowed
to go to Jerusalem.

[in English] What?

[in Arabic] Maybe in the past
we were able to get permits,

but today it's impossible.

[in English] Not even for a day?

[in Arabic] Not even for
a half hour, dear.

If you want to go anywhere,
don't go by yourself.

Especially if you want to go to Huwara.
The situation is exceptionally dangerous.

Just the other day, mobs of settlers
burned cars and homes in Huwara.

[sighs] Two days ago, they took over
and occupied another home.

Imagine being in your house,

and can't move freely
between your bedroom and living room.

Except with the permission of a soldier.

What kind of life is this?

Come on, Father. They just arrived.

[in English] Why you are afraiding them?

No, nothing happens. Nothing.

When I go out by myself, nothing happens.

If I see a settler, I yell,
"What are you looking at? Run away."

[in Arabic] "Go, run away from my face.
Don't get close to me!"

Then you see them all run away.

- [Uncle grunts]
- [all laughing]

You scared me! You scared me!

[all laughing]

[Uncle] Take Sameer to Grandpa's house
and leave us a minute.

[Yusra] Let's go, Sameer.

Look, dear.

- [Mo] What's up, Uncle?
- [Ali] See all this?

- See that hill over there?
- Yes.

That side is your Aunt Halima's house.

The other side is
your Aunt Lameece's house.

And next to it is our house.

See the houses with the red roofs
on the hilltop?

Settlements, yeah?

Yes, a settlement.

[sighs]

Down there...

Down there is the mosque.

The mosque where your father used to pray,

and your grandfather
and great-great grandfather.

All the way back to the prophet Adam.

Peace be upon him.

I can't wait to pray in the same mosque.

- See all that land there?
- Mm-hmm.

We inherited it from your grandfather.

Your mother's share, and your share,
and your children's share is there.

Why is the land undeveloped?

We can't do anything with it.

You need a permit to do anything,

if you want to build a house,
an office, a factory, or anything.

They reject 95% of the permits.

They brag about this in the Knesset,

that they reject 95% of the permits.

There is no power or strength
except with God.

It's humiliating.

Okay, Uncle.

[Mo] I can't bear it anymore.

[Ali] Let's go, my dear.

[Yusra] Is this how you take care
of our parents' house? It's full of dust.

[Ali] No one lives here.
What do you expect? Of course it's dusty!

[Yusra] It wouldn't be
if you cleaned it once in a while!

- [Ali exclaims]
- [Yusra] Run away like usual!

- Hey, Nephew.
- Yes, Uncle?

- So you like the room?
- Yes, a lot.

This was our room when we were young.

When we were little,
we would jump and play on this bed.

You wanna jump on it now?

[laughing] No jumping!

[both laugh]

- Ali, I need to show you something.
- What is it?

Oh my God.

- Remember this bed?
- Yes, of course.

You and Halima would sleep here,
and I'd sleep on the floor.

And when Lameece was born,
where did you go?

Ooh, I went to the roof of course!

Older boys aren't supposed to sleep
in the same room as girls.

Why is the room like this,
filled with so many cobwebs?

Mama.

- Enough about the dust!
- I'm kidding!

Come, let me show you.

- Let's go, let's go.
- What do you want to show me?

Come. We found
something really interesting.

[soothing music playing]

[sniffing]

What is this?

[mutters indistinctly]

Impossible.

"British passport Palestine."

Grandpa.

I saw this in my dream.

Mama, look what I found!

Uh, Sameer.

Where did you find that key?

[Sameer] It was on the wall.

[in English] This is the key
to Grandpa and Grandma's home in Haifa

before they were forced out.

- I've dreamt about this key.
- This key?

[in Arabic] This key looks like all
the keys of the days of The Catastrophe.

[in English] No.

Uh, it's this key.

I've been having dreams with Grandma
and Grandpa for the last year.

Maybe, ya mama, they're watching over you.

[in Arabic] Their spirits are flying
around you.

Let me have the passport and key.

What?

The passport and the key.

I'll look after them in America.

No way.

These are here, and they will remain here.

Can I at least take a picture?

The old picture of my grandparents.

- Take it.
- Thank you. We got it done.

- Tell you what, let's go pick the olives.
- [laughs]

[Mo] Let's go.

- [rhythmic beat]
- [all clapping]

[Halima] ♪ Fair Del'ona, Fair Del'ona ♪

♪ My country's olives
Are the most delicious ♪

♪ Nothing compares ♪

[all] ♪ Fair Del'ona, Fair Del'ona ♪

♪ My country's olives
Are the most delicious ♪

♪ Nothing compares ♪

[Halima] ♪ My country's olives
And the green almonds ♪

♪ The sage, and don't forget the za'atar ♪

♪ And the omelette gets cooked ♪

♪ Tastier when you add our olive oil ♪

[all] ♪ Fair Del'ona, Fair Del'ona ♪

♪ My country's olives
Are the most delicious ♪

♪ Nothing compares... ♪

- [Yusra] Is your back hurting you?
- [sighs]

Come. Come.

[Halima continues singing]

[Yusra] Where are you taking me?

What are you talking about?
I wanna listen too!

- I'm tired too.
- [Yusra] Come take a break.

[indistinct conversation]

[women laughing]

[indistinct conversation]

[singing continues]

Praise be to God.

[all singing and cheering]

[trilling]

[laughing]

Who's a pretty horse?

Who's a beautiful horse?

[Ali] Do you remember Sabiha?

Our neighbor's horse, Sabiha,
that we rode when we were young?

- Yes.
- This one is from her lineage.

- You're kidding.
- Do you want to ride him?

No, I don't think I can.

What, you forgot? Impossible.

Come on. Get on. Try it.

- Fine, but I'm blaming you if I fall.
- [chuckles]

You won't fall. Come on.

- Let's go.
- Let's go.

[in English] Why do you wanna do this?

What do you mean, why?

You live in America.
You can do anything there.

- So why just sell olive oil?
- It's not like that, okay?

You need real capital
to do anything in America.

Mohammed, compared to here.

Okay, fair point.

What would you do if you were in America?

- What would you do?
- Uber.

- Uber?
- I hear they put a great tip.

You wanna go all the way to America
so you can be a taxi?

Yeah, man. Here... Here, they don't tip.

I... I saw... saw on the video
that they are really good with tips.

- [horse neighs]
- Hey, is that Mama?

- [Hadi] So what?
- [Mo] What do you mean so what?

I've never seen her ride a horse.
I didn't know she rode.

I... I thought everyone in Texas
rides horses.

- [in Arabic] Come on, man.
- What?

- [in English] It's not like that.
- Shh.

Wait. Can you hear that?

[Mo] Yeah, what is that? What is that?

[Hadi shushing]

[man grunting]

[Hadi] Shh. Shh.

[in Hebrew] Hey! Get out!

What are you doing? What are you doing?

[in English] My grandfather
planted these trees!

- [in Arabic] They're armed!
- [in English] What are you doing?

f*ck yourself!

[settler in Hebrew] Get out of here,
you dumb t*rror1st!

- [Hadi in Arabic] Are you okay?
- [Mo groans]

[coughing]

[Mo coughing]

[Hadi in English] Mohammed! Are you okay?

Are you okay?

[Mo in Arabic] Do I look okay?

[Hadi panting]

[Hadi shouting in Arabic]

[soldier speaking Hebrew]

[speaking Arabic]

Mohammed!

[Mo in English] My feelings hurt more
than my actual eyes.

[in Arabic] To be honest...

[in English] I can't believe
I got pepper-sprayed.

Oh yeah, that's good.

[Yusra in Arabic] Donkey.

[in English] I'm proud of you.

It makes me so happy
to see you happy, Mama.

When I saw you riding on that horse,
I couldn't believe my eyes.

I said, "That's my mom."

Why didn't you tell me?

I never told you a lot of things.

Did Dad know you rode horses?

[in Arabic] Of course.

[in English] He saw me riding a horse
like a princess,

and he fell in love with me.

- [Mo in Arabic] Really?
- No. Of course...

- [in English] It was arranged.
- [Mo chuckles]

Well...

- Mama.
- Hmm.

You know, at the airport,
when they asked me

Dad's grandfather's name, and...

And I didn't know it.

It's okay, mama.

It's not okay.
You should know where you come from.

It's okay, ya mama.

He's inside here.

[somber music playing]

[in Arabic] Love you, Mama.

[somber music continues]

[praying in Arabic]

Allah.

Allah. [exhales]

[Mo sighs]

[Hadi] Ibrahim, I want to introduce you
to my aunt's son, Mohammed.

From Texas, originally from Burin.

Welcome home. How are you?

All good, praise be to God.
Pleasure to meet you.

It's time for prayer.
Mohammed will do the call to prayer.

No way.

- [Ibrahim] You're our guest, you must.
- You're joking.

Go with God. Go with God.

Why are you scared?

You're in God's domain.

Look, Mohammed, if God is with you,
who can be against you?

If God's against you, then who's with you?
What's the issue, man?

[in English] It's a call from God.

Answer it.

[in Arabic] Come on.

[exhales deeply]

Bismillah.

♪ God is great
God is great ♪

♪ God is great ♪

♪ I bear witness
There is no god except the One God ♪

♪ I bear witness
There is no god except the One God ♪

♪ I bear witness
Muhammad is the messenger of God ♪

♪ I bear witness
Muhammad is the messenger of God ♪

♪ Hurry to prayer ♪

[over loudspeaker] ♪ Hurry to prayer ♪

♪ Hurry to salvation ♪

♪ Hurry to salvation ♪

♪ God is great
God is great ♪

♪ I bear witness
There is no god except the One God ♪

God bless you.

Habibi, Mohammed, habibi.

- Ibrahim.
- [Ibrahim] You did great.

- Be honest, be honest. How was he?
- [door opens]

- Honestly, he was really good.
- Who called the prayer?

- Mohammed.
- Mohammed, he did it.

- What? You did it.
- [Mo] You guys told me to.

You did the call to prayer
ten minutes early.

Well, but the clock...

That clock is ten minutes ahead.

- I told him.
- You did not. Don't lie.

He's lying.

- They're lying.
- [elder] Who are you?

I've lived in Burin my whole life,
and I've never seen you before.

Mohammed, my name is Mohammed Najjar.

Who is your father?

My father is Mustafa Najjar.

You're Mustafa Najjar's son?

Yes.

Why didn't you say that
at the beginning?

I didn't know what to say.

- You knew my father?
- God bless. God bless.

[Mo speaking Arabic]

Your father, Mustafa,

opened the first electronics store
here in Burin.

- Really?
- Yes, he used to fix televisions, radios--

Washing machines?

- [elder] Telephones.
- Washing machines.

He was an engineer. An engineer!

He repaired telephones and electronics.

Do you know who installed the sound system
and microphone in this mosque?

- [Mo] No. Who?
- Also your father.

My father installed this?

[elder] Before your father, no one knew
anything about electronics here.

We would plant antennas and water them.

[Hadi and Ibrahim laugh]

[elder] He graduated
and came back with his degrees.

And he taught us how to use these things.

His success was our success.

Everyone in Burin was proud of him.

May God have mercy on his soul.

But you should be the proudest.

Because he's your father.

[Ibrahim] That's right.
May God have mercy on his soul.

Of course, that's my father.

I just need a minute.

God bless you.

[Hadi] Did my father install anything
in this mosque?

[elder] Your father is great
at playing cards only.

[men conversing in Arabic]

[breathing heavily]

[crying quietly]

[sniffling]

[crying quietly]

[sniffles]

[Hadi] Mohammed.

Yeah.

I'll be right there.

I'll be right there.

[sniffles]

♪ Mother, sing to the wind ♪

[both] ♪ Mother, sing ♪

♪ A dagger's stab is better ♪

♪ Than being ruled by a scoundrel ♪

- [chuckles]
- Habibi.

[chuckles]

How are you, Uncle?

Look, Nephew.

If we want to export our oil,
we have to first get an export permit.

That's IF we get it.

- [in English] Okay.
- Okay?

[in Arabic] Then we need to

move the oil in our cars
to the checkpoints.

After the checkpoint,
we need a second set of cars

with yellow plates,
so that we can get to the Israeli side

to the airport or port.

Understand?

Understood.

What a mess!

[Yusra in English] Have you seen Sameer?
I can't find him anywhere!

[in Arabic] No, I haven't.

Have you seen him?

[Yusra] I'm going to look for him.

Let's go see.

We're coming.

What's going on, Mama?

[Yusra] I couldn't find him.

Don't worry. It's normal.

[Yusra in English]
He doesn't know where he's going.

- [in Arabic] He doesn't know the area.
- Don't worry. We'll find him.

Isn't that him?

[Mo speaking Arabic]

Sameer, where were you? You worried us!

[in English] I saw a Palestinian sunbird!

[in Arabic] Where did you find this child?

[in English] Oh, him?
He just started following me.

- [in Arabic] This is a problem.
- [Hadi] We're going to prison.

Sameer, come sit over here with the kid.

[Hadi] This is four life sentences.
This is definitely four life sentences.

[Ali] I know this kid. He doesn't speak.

His family is from New York.
They live on the settlement.

[in English] He's from the settlement.
I'll take him back.

[in Arabic] What do you mean?
You crazy? They'll sh**t you!

Should we call the army? The police?

If we call the army or the cops,
that is the fastest way to go to prison!

[Halima] Ali, you know how this goes.

- You know what happens.
- [Ali] What can we do?

- I'll take him back!
- You'll get pepper-sprayed again.

[in English] What are you
going to do, huh?

I have an American accent.

I'll just be like
a super American guy, like...

[in American accent] "I was just
walking around and I saw your son."

"He was just wandering off, and..."

"Does he belong to anybody here,
by chance, you know?"

[laughs] And I'm wearing an Astros hat.
It's gonna be believable.

Of course. Of course.
Astros hat equals two-state solution.

- [in Arabic] What is wrong with him?
- [Ali] Shut your mouth!

[Mo] Enough!

[in English] What other plan we have?
Tell me.

[in Arabic] First of all, they know you.

They don't know me.

[in English] They don't know me.
It's the only way to cover you, right?

[Ali in Arabic] Fine.

Go up very slowly.

Don't run.

If you hear g*nshots, stop.

Oh, my heart.

[Ali] Halima!

Take him to the settlement.

Leave him by the gate,
and they'll come get him.

Is that clear?

Yes, it's clear.

[Halima] Be careful, my dear.

[Yusra] Do exactly as he said.

[Mo in English] Don't you live
on top of that hill there?

It'd be really great if you just walked
yourself in, you know?

A kid like you with a guy like me
is a bad look here.

I didn't want it that way, but it is.

[man shouting] Where are you, Zvika?

[Mo] Zvika?

[man] Zvika!

[Mo] Zvika. Is... is that you? Zvika?

[man] Hey! Hey! Zvika! Come here, Zvika!

- [g*n c*ck]
- [Mo] Hey, man.

- Whoa.
- Hey!

- Hey.
- Hey.

Tell me what you're doing
with my son!

I'm just trying to help, okay.
I'm unarmed.

Tell me or I'll blow
your f*cking head off!

I didn't do anything!
I was bringing him back, dude.

[mutters indistinctly]

Don't lie to me!

If you're in trouble, ask for a key.
A key, ask for a key!

A key! A key!

- How'd you know my name?
- What?

It's Akiva. How'd you know?

Your name's...

Your name's Akiva?

Yeah.

Uh...

Your son told me.

My son doesn't talk.

- Don't you f*cking lie to me.
- Whoa! Whoa!

I am lying! You're right!
I've been having dreams about a key.

And if you get into any trouble,
ask for a key!

And that's why I said that, that's it!
So I just used it!

He followed my brother to my aunt's house.
I'm just bringing him back!

My son, here...

he wanders.

[Mo] You're welcome.

All right.

Bye, Zvika.

All of a sudden, his dad came out
of nowhere with a machine g*n.

"What are you doing with my son?"

And I grabbed the barrel
of the g*n like this,

and I said, "Nobody has to die today."

- [laughing]
- I looked him in his eyes. I said,

"Akiva, we're not going to do this.
We're not going to do this, Akiva."

He was like, "My name is Akiva!
How'd you know?"

And I said, "It just popped up,
like it was A Beautiful Mind.

It just showed itself."

- Stop the bullshit!
- [both laughing]

Stop the bullshit!

This lie is bigger than my ambitions!

You scared!

[Mo] I was so scared! It was so scary!

- [Hadi] You scared.
- I was terrified.

- You scared.
- He did have a g*n.

He did have a g*n on me, though.

[all laughing]

Whoa. Uncle, what is this?

[Halima speaking Arabic]

[in English] This is for you.

[Mo in Arabic] No way.

[Ali] This is your father's camera.

He sent it to me before he left Kuwait.

[in English] Mama... That's the picture
I was showing Mama on the plane.

Yup.

[Mo] It's the same camcorder.

- [gentle music playing]
- [case clicks open]

[in Arabic] It still works.

[Mo chuckles]

[muttering indistinctly]

Hold on.

[in English] Play.

[camcorder whirring]

[Hadi in Arabic] What is it?

- Michael Jackson.
- Michael Jackson?

Here, take this one.

[Mo mutters indistinctly]

[camcorder whirring]

[mutters indistinctly]

Wait.

It's our house. Wait, wait, wait.

Eh!

Wait...

Wait a second.

That's him! That's Dad!

[sobbing]

- Dad.
- [Hadi] Really?

Yes!

[laughing]

[breathing heavily]

[shouts] Mama!

Look, look at Mama.

[Halima] Is that a pompadour?

[all laughing]

[in English] She looked beautiful...

[in Arabic] I have shoulder pads
like the Grendizer.

You can use them like floaties.

[all laughing]

[Lameece] Who are they?

These were our neighbors in Kuwait.

That group on the side
were his friends from work.

How beautiful were those days?

[in English] Mama, wait, wait.
Here, watch, watch.

Here's Dad. Here's Dad.

[in Arabic] ♪ Oh, beautiful ♪

♪ Oh, companion ♪

♪ You are the one who burns me ♪

♪ With the fire of abandonment ♪

♪ Fill the cup ♪

♪ Oh beautiful
And give it to me to drink... ♪

May God have mercy on his soul.

[Mo] Should we watch Michael Jackson?

[all laughing]

[Lameece speaking Arabic]

[Lameece] Ah, those were the days.

[camcorder whirring]

[inaudible]

[Yusra in English] You're still watching?

What's the matter, habibi?

I don't know.
I just thought things would be different.

Instead, I'm back at the job
that I got fired from, Mama.

I mean,
Dad was a telecommunications engineer.

He was innovative,
he worked on wireless communication.

I mean, he was ahead of his time.

If he saw where technology is today,

he would just lose his mind.

[crying]

God.

[voice breaking] Instead,
I'm selling phone cases, Mama.

Listen, mama.

Your father had a degree, it's true.

But his degree, when he came to America,

meant nothing,

because he had to start all over again
and open the 99 Cents Store.

Your father is like you.

He saw himself through the world's eyes.

And in the world's eyes,

he was a simple man with a small shop.

And I believe that's what k*lled his soul.

Because he was too proud.

Just like you.

But it was never true.

Because his worth, our worth,

came from Allah.

Do you think Allah cares what degree
you have or what passport you carry?

[laughs] Come on.

Hamoodi...

The world will always try to tear us down.

And when they do, we smile.

Because we know who we are.

- [in Arabic] Right?
- Right.

- [Yusra] Come give me a kiss.
- [Mo] You're amazing, Mama.

[crying]

[chuckles]

[in English] Look, look, look.

Watch. Watch.

That's my favorite.

[in Arabic] God be pleased with you.

[in English] Your father, if he was alive,
he would be very proud of you.

[chuckles]

[sighs]

[in Arabic] Look at that.

[Halima] ♪ Oh, where are you leaving to?
Your soul and my soul are one ♪

♪ Oh, the clothes on your body
Bring my soul back to life ♪

♪ Oh, I promise to carve your name
And hang it on my mantel ♪

♪ Oh, I will hang it in the wind
To cry and weep... ♪

Call us when you land. Don't forget, okay?

[crying] May God protect you, my loves.

May God grant you safe travels, my dears.

Take care of each other.

We just bought a house in Haifa.

It's small, but it's nice by the water.

[in Hebrew] Thank God.

[ticket agent in English] Next.

- Good evening, sir.
- Sorry. Hey.

- Excuse me.
- Passports.

Yes.

It's... to Houston.

Thank you.

[indistinct announcement over PA]

- What's going on?
- One moment.

[in Hebrew] Please send security.

["Granada Calling"
by Nai Barghouti playing]

[unzipping jacket]

[scoffs]

Put your clothes on.

- [camcorder clatters]
- Easy.

What is this, huh?

It's an old video camera from the '80s.

[scoffs] What's the matter, huh?

Is your phone too easy to use? [laughs]

My uncle gave it to me.
It used to belong to my father.

So it's your father's old junk, huh?

What's on this, huh?

It's an old family video.

My mom and dad are on that, all right?

Hey! Hey, hey, hey, don't do this.

It's the only video of my dad.

Don't do this, please.

- [videotape cracking]
- Please don't do this.

- [videotape breaks]
- [agent] Oops.

["I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel
To Be Free" by Nina Simone playing]

[inaudible]

[Yusra] The world will always try
to tear us down.

And when they do,

we smile,

because we know who we are.

[sighs]

♪ I wish I knew how
It would feel to be free ♪

♪ I wish I could break... ♪

[Mo] They're singing. That's cute.
They're doing karaoke at my house.

My dad's taking pictures
like it's a wedding.

♪ I wish I could say
All the things that I should say ♪

♪ Say 'em loud, say 'em clear ♪

♪ For the whole round world to hear ♪

♪ I wish I could share
All the love that's in my heart ♪

♪ Remove all the bars ♪

♪ That keep us apart ♪

♪ I wish you could know
What it means to be me ♪

♪ Then you'd see and agree ♪

♪ That every man should be free... ♪

[song fades]