It’s not often that Human Rights Watch sends a narrative feature our way, but when they do it’s a moment worth cherishing. Two sisters, dressed alike and close enough in age to pass for twins, are placed in separate foster care, something the case worker assures them is a good thing. In order to survive, Hasma (Mouna Soualem) imagines that she's her younger sister. The two fall out of touch and I’m loath to discuss the film's origins. Based on a true story, those ignorant of the events going in will want to keep it that way. It’s when fiction catches up with fact that first-time filmmaker Dina Amer hits us with one of those privileged moments unique to cinema, a summative shot the likes of which others devote an entire career in search of but never find. The one thing that prevents me from giving it a flat out rave is the recurring use of CGI to blur the identities of the two actresses playing the adult Hasna (Soualem and Sabrina Ouazani). Not that one expected Amir to pull off a feat akin to Bunuel's That Obscure Object of Desire, but once the gimmick began to wear off, straight cuts would have sufficed. Almost as startling as the events depicted is the fact that a film produced by Spikes Lee and Jonze has yet to find a distributor. All the more reason you should check it out. The festival runs May 20-26. For more information visit: https://ff.hrw.org/san-diego) (2021) — Scott Marks
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