Sand Storm (Sufat Chol) (2016)
87%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 15 wins & 19 nominations
Sand Storm marks an impressive first feature for debuting writer-director Elite Zexer that offers a perceptive — and crucial — look at patriarchal traditions
Sand Storm is a movie that will make you feel like you’re in the middle of a desert, but not in a bad way. The story is a study in prisoner psychology, but with a feminist twist that will leave you feeling empowered. The characters are nuanced and the filmmaking skills of the first-time director are impressive. It’s a frustrating domestic drama, but with a satisfying conclusion that will leave you invigorated. Overall, Sand Storm is a must-watch for anyone who wants to see a fresh perspective on family drama.
Production Company(ies)
The Mirisch Corporation,
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Negev Desert, Israel
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 27m
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Language(s):Arabic
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Country of origin:Israel
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2017
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Sand Storm, drama, Elite Zexer, Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal, Hitham Omari, Khadija Al Akel, Jalal Masrwa, Arabic, Kino Lorber, box office, budget, reviewed by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, J.R Jones, Kenneth Turan, Alan Scherstuhl, Tomris Laffly, Godfrey Cheshire, David Bax, Fernanda Solórzano, Roger Moore, Jorge Ignacio Castillo, Stephen Saito, MPAA rating, Bedouin culture, forbidden love, patriarchal traditions, Southern Israel, debut feature, feminist story, nuanced, conservative customs, victims, humanist, filmmaking skills, family drama, bias, performances
Worldwide gross: $414,698
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $511,115
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,734
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 55,738
US/Canada gross: $86,800
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $106,981
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,656
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,849
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $8,441
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,736
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): ?3,850,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ruba Blal – Jalila
Hitham Omari – Suliman
Khadija Al Akel – Tasnim
Jalal Masrwa – Anwar
Elite Zexer – Director
Director(s)
Elite Zexer
Writer(s)
Elite Zexer
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Sundance, Berlin, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
15 wins & 19 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (3)
There is a grim sense of inevitability that runs through Sand Storm, yet Jalila’s incandescent spirit contains the hope that the old ways are soon to be a thing of the past.
August 25, 2018
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Blue Lenses
TOP CRITIC
The movie is like a study in prisoner psychology.
November 10, 2016
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s set in the heart of the desert, but the disturbances of the quietly impressive “Sand Storm” rage not in the natural world but in the intimate corners of the human heart.
October 6, 2016
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Rich in cultural specifics but also universal longings.
September 28, 2016
Alan Scherstuhl
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
A deeply affecting, powerfully aching feminist story… Elite Zexer’s confident debut is a nuanced look at conservative customs where villains are deep down victims, too.
September 28, 2016
Tomris Laffly
Film Journal International
TOP CRITIC
It’s a fairly familiar critique of patriarchy from a humanist, feminist perspective, but one put across with some very impressive filmmaking skills by a first-time director.
September 28, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
Godfrey Cheshire
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
As things progress, it begins to seem that such anger is partially what Zexer aims to provoke. And, from there, the empathy follows…
January 5, 2021
David Bax
Battleship Pretension
It’s not a naive story… It’s the story of a dilemma and how a final decision is not always the most gratifying, but it’s the one that will have significant repercussions in the long run. [Full Review in Spanish]
May 8, 2020
Fernanda Solórzano
Letras Libres
Exquisitely frustrating domestic drama in a novel Bedouin setting.
April 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
Sand Storm brings attention to the limited opportunities women have in this environment and hints at the resilience of patriarchal tradition.
January 28, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Jorge Ignacio Castillo
The Canadian Crew
“Sand Storm” provides the satisfaction of a good ol’ fashioned family drama from an invigorating new point of view.
March 1, 2019
Stephen Saito
Moveable Fest
By placing the emphasis on the characters, the performance, and the subtext, Zexer has crafted something truly accomplished.
August 28, 2018 | Rating: 3.9/5
Andrew Parker
The Gate…
Plot
Desert noon in a Bedouin village in Southern Israel. Jalila is hosting an awkward celebration – the marriage of her husband to a second, much younger wife – while trying to conceal the insult that boils inside her. Her daughter Layla is preoccupied with a different matter. Her secret, strictly forbidden, love affair with Anuar was just unveiled by her mother. Jalila believes that the world is harsh and cruel, and the only way to win – is to keep your mouth shut, your head as high as possible without raising too much attention, and struggle from inside the limits of the traditional world surrounding you. Layla believes that there are no limits to the world surrounding her. Everything can be hers if she only wished hard enough. But, as the story unfolds, they each fail in her individual battle. Their whole family falls apart and everything they believe in shatters. Now, the two women are forced to understand that, if they wish to survive, they will have to start seeing the world from each other’s eyes.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about Sand Storm.
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