USA vs Al Arian (2007)

Directed by: Line Halvorsen | 100 minutes | documentary

Although ‘USA vs Al-Arian’ starts off a bit dry, it leaves you in disarray. Sami Al-Arian was only recently released on bail. And that while he was already acquitted on all counts two years ago. A lawsuit still hangs over his head. Sami Al-Arian and his wife have lived in the United States for years. They are both children of refugees from Palestine. They live in Tampa, Florida with their five children and Al-Arian works as a university professor. He has strong views on the Israeli occupation of his country that has lasted more than 35 years. He does not hide his opinion and tries to create as much support as possible. He lectures and speaks at protests and even has photos of him standing with George W. Bush and also one with Hillary Clinton. He spoke to them on these occasions about the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Despite this, he is a potential terrorist according to the US government. It turns out that his phone has been tapped for nine years.

Al-Arian has set up many charitable funds that, according to the prosecutor, are a front to finance his terrorist cell. All those involved in the process have their say on a regular basis, making it a nuanced story that eventually culminates in drama for an entire family. But not just for this family. This history is also very bad for the entire Western, so-called democratic world. Laila, Sami’s wife, it all gets too much at some point. Her husband is imprisoned and tries to keep the morale of his family high, but that is perhaps why he puts a lot of pressure on them. The youngest daughter, who can’t quite remember what it was like when daddy was still at home, is sent to relatives in Cairo. There she can get enough attention from grandparents and she doesn’t have to feel the pressure anymore. When he is acquitted because, as one juror said, “there is no evidence whatsoever,” the revelry is short-lived. The processes, deals and false agreements lead to a disastrous turn. It leaves the viewer in anger, despair and tears. Let alone how the Al-Arian family experienced this themselves.

Hopefully the era of Barack Obama will shed some light after these dark, paranoid years of two George W. Bush administrations. Insha’Allah! ‘USA vs Al-Arian’ rightly received the Audience Award at the Tromsø International Film Festival and was voted best film at the New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival.