The Bride Dress
52 minutes
Marwah Jbara Tibi
Documentary
2019 - Palestine
North America Premiere
Arabic with English Subtitles
An intimate documentary about love under apartheid, A Bride Dress follows two Palestinian couples planning their nuptials: Lubna and Abdalla, and Sumoud and Assem. We meet the two brides and their families in a shop, as they coincidentally rent the same traditional Palestinian dress, which Lubna wears for her henna party and Sumoud for her engagement party. We soon learn that finding the perfect dress is not their biggest worry - both weddings are adversely affected by the Israeli occupation. Sumoud’s joy is tainted by heartbreak over her groom not being by her side when they marry because Assem is a political prisoner in an Israeli prison. And Lubna's plans are plagued with the uncertainty of whether her husband and his family will receive the necessary Israeli permits to travel from the West Bank to attend the wedding party in Nazareth, her hometown. The film captures the festivities, ceremonies, traditions and hardships of both Palestinian weddings. Despite the occupation, two wedding ceremonies are held in Palestinian style, as we witness how love triumphs over walls and barriers of occupation.
Past Festivals
First screening at Al Jazeera Documentary
Florence film festival, March 2021.
Awards
The Best Feature Documentary, Florence film festival, March 2021.
The film has won the award of Creativity in Direction at Arab Radio and TV Festival (ASBU) in Tunisia.
