INSHALLAH A BOY

Nawal has lost her husband, suddenly, overnight. There is no time to grieve, because under Jordanian inheritance law, which follows sharia, part of the estate goes to the deceased’s family if there is no son – and Nawal has only a daughter. Her brother-in-law Rifqi lays claim to his share, down to the flat, the only home mother and child have. Nawal resorts to a lie: she is pregnant, with a boy, God willing. With every week, the deception becomes harder to sustain. “Inshallah a Boy” by Amjad Al Rasheed, a Jordanian film from 2023, is a social drama with the tension of an escape thriller – the maze is Jordanian society itself.

The Jordanian director Amjad Al Rasheed makes his feature debut with this film, the first Jordanian film ever to screen in Cannes; co-produced with France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. The Palestinian actress Mouna Hawa carries the film as Nawal, every gesture precisely placed. It premiered in 2023 in the Semaine de la Critique, where it won the Fondation Gan prize and the Rail d’Or; Jordan submitted the film for the Oscars. It was shown at Around the World in 14 Films in Berlin in 2023.

Shown at the 2023 edition of Around the World in 14 Films.

All films 2023 · Film Archive