Jesus, between this and Shoplifters I'm feeling really, really good about my decision to never have children. Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) is approximately twelve-years-old and has never had any form of identification or education. He spends his days scamming prescription drugs for his mother (Kawsar Al Haddad) to wash clothes with and smuggle into prison, or running errands for Assaad (Nour El Husseini), the local merchant who lets his family squat in a tenement. When his parents make the decision to sell their 11-year-old daughter, Sahar (Haita Izzam), to Assaad, Zain runs away. He is taken in by Rahil (Yordanos Shiferaw), an Ethiopian woman in the country illegally, and takes over caring for her infant son during the day so she can work. But when Rahil is arrested for lack of a work visa, Zain must find ways for himself and the baby to survive.
Honest to God, this is an incredibly well-done movie. It's engaging, the pacing is good, the flash forward scenes are filled with tension (the framing scenes are a courtroom drama), and the performances are top-notch. But GODDAMN if this film isn't painful AF. It's currently streaming on Starz right now if you feel like you need to see the effects of abject poverty on people and the way that they're preyed upon by people in power. Then watch some cartoons. Classic Powerpuff Girls is on Hulu.
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