2008 · Raouf Zaki · 39 min
In impoverished Baghdad under Saddam's dictatorship, 16-year-old Amal hopes to regain her social status at school by volunteering to find a book as a class gift for the departing literature teacher. Meanwhile, her emotionally fragile little brother becomes obsessed with the notion that a visiting uncle from America--whom he confuses with Santa Claus--will bring him toys. Ashamed never to have been able to give his son a toy, the child's father sells some more prized family possessions and buys a model car for him.
Nora ArmaniAmal's Mother
Demosthenes ChrysanAmal's Father
May CalamawyHala (as May El Calamawy)John Rahal SarroufMr. KareemMiriam HabibStudent 1Alexandra NaderStudent 2Ameena SaisRafeekaSara HassanDeenaDody EidBilalDavid ZakiSamiMarie-Thérèse Abou-DaoudBilal's TeacherManny PiatosUncle OmarMonica FarringtonFareeda
Nikhail AsnaniFareeda's Son