(Israel, 2005, 52 min., Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles)
Directed by Roy Westler.
Seventeen-year-old Shadya Zoabi is a feisty Arab-Israeli world karate champion who competes for the Israeli national team. Shadya’s father supports her karate ambitions; however, her older brothers consider her a disgrace to the family. As she prepares for her wedding, Shadya struggles with how to stay true to her interests and ideals in the face of mounting pressure to become a traditional wife and mother. Shadya’s story poignantly illustrates the challenges of coping with competing identities—Palestinian/Israeli citizen and Muslim woman/karate champ.
