Synopsis
Lubna (35) is used to her exhausting post-midnight commute home from the hospital from Jericho to Ramallah. She has successfully hidden her secret relationship with a woman her age from her ultra-conservative family. Little does she know that tonight has a few surprises in store. The surgeon drives the desolate, winding road with confidence. But shortly thereafter, her tire blows. She has no idea how to fix it. Howling coyotes nearby make the experience terrifying, until a mysterious stranger stops by to help. When he presents her with the nail he’s found in the brand-new spare tire, she suspects a trap. When she confronts him, he counters that it’s her choice: a ride home in his car or a sleepless night with the coyotes. She anxiously gets into the back seat. On the way to Ramallah, things take a drastic turn when he reveals that he works for an Israeli spy agency. She asks him to stop and gets out. As she walks away, he blackmails her with photos of her and her partner. Stuck in a desperate situation, Lubna must choose between becoming a collaborator or taking matters into her own hands.
Said Zagha has a BA in film and English from Kenyon College and an MA in screenwriting from the London Film School. His 2021 short, Lovesick in the West Bank premiered at the Academy Award-qualifying Urbanworld and Tampere Festivals. His 2016 dramedy, Five Boys and a Wheel, went on to play at 40+ festivals worldwide, winning three awards in Oman, Algeria, and Mexico. Said is developing his debut feature, Weedestine, a Palestine-set revenge thriller, which received support from Jordan’s Royal Film Commission and the Red Sea Film Fund. It has been selected at several labs and international markets including EAVE and Frontieres Genre Market. Said is a Berlinale Talents alumnus (2020).