Amal

Synopsis

Amal is an idealistic and passionate literature teacher in a suburban Brussels school, appreciated by her colleagues and students alike. When one of her female students is severely bullied by her classmates for not dressing according to her religion and accused of being a lesbian, Amal is put to the test.

She introduces the students to the classical Arabic poet Abu Nawas, who wrote about his love for men as well as women, in an attempt to defuse the situation. It turns out that these love poems are forbidden in Islam because of their homoerotic content, and as tensions and anger escalate in and outside of school, Amal becomes a target, making her question everything she believed in.

Driven by great performances and script, this is a challenging film that will never let you sit back thinking everything will end well.