Inch'Allah

A street cafe in Israel is bombed, opening the narrative with sudden violence. The attack unsettles the community and foreshadows the fraught security environment the characters inhabit. It also foreshadows the later ties between personal tragedy and political conflict.

Chloé is a Canadian obstetrician who works at a Red Crescent clinic in Ramallah while living in Jerusalem. She commutes daily through checkpoints, witnessing arrivals and delays that shape her perspective on the occupation. The arrangement highlights the distance between her patients and her own life.

Rand is a pregnant Palestinian patient under Chloé's care. Her husband Ziad is jailed, adding strain to the family. Chloé befriends Rand and joins her family—Faysal, Safi, and Soraïda—as they navigate life under occupation.

Gunmen open fire on the nearby Beit Shomron settlement, wounding two civilians. In response, Israeli soldiers round up men in the refugee camp, increasing the sense of control and fear. The incident intensifies the political tension surrounding the characters.

Ava, Chloé's Israeli friend and a soldier, confesses her unease with the dehumanizing aspects of checkpoint duty. She feels trapped by duty and cannot quit, despite her discomfort. The conversation deepens the emotional stakes of cross-border friendships.

Chloé spends time with Rand and Safi near the separation barrier, rummaging for supplies in a rubbish dump. A local boy is inadvertently run over by an armored Israeli truck and dies, later being celebrated as a martyr at his funeral. The event underscores the fragility of life under occupation.

Chloé confronts Ava about the disproportionate attention given by Israeli authorities to the settlement shooting. Ava defends the focus by noting that two settlers were seriously wounded, which she frames as a significant issue. The exchange highlights competing perspectives on violence and responsibility.

Chloé grows closer to Rand's family and learns about the effects of occupation on daily life. She helps Faysal plaster propaganda posters at his print shop, bridging communities through shared labor. The friendship deepens and complicates her sense of responsibility.

Chloé persuades Ava to issue a travel pass allowing Rand's family to visit Soraïda's ruined former village. Soraïda expresses gratitude for the gesture, while Faysal remains bitter about reminders of loss. The act reveals small acts of mercy amid larger political barriers.

Chloé and Ava visit a nightclub in Tel Aviv, sharing a rare moment of cross-community interaction. The outing contrasts with the ongoing daily hardship and foreshadows how personal bonds can exist across divides. The scene also deepens the tension between their loyalties.

The following morning Rand goes into labor and Chloé and the group rush back toward Ramallah. They encounter a checkpoint that blocks their path, preventing timely access to a hospital. Rand delivers her baby in the back of the van, and the infant dies.

Rand learns that Ziad has been sentenced by an Israeli military court to 25 years. The news compounds her grief after losing her child and facing separation from her husband. The moment marks a turning point in her bitterness toward Chloé.

A guilt-ridden Chloé crosses the checkpoint toward Jerusalem, carrying a backpack that is later delivered to a man on a bus. The act haunts her as she grapples with responsibility and questions whether she can bear witness to what she has seen. The journey emphasizes the personal cost of involvement.

A suicide bombing erupts in a crowded street cafe, tying the climax to the earlier exposition. The attack underscores the extreme consequences of ongoing conflict for everyone involved. The scene shifts the emotional focus to collective tragedy.

After the attack, Chloé visits Faysal's photocopying shop in Ramallah and learns that Rand was the one who perpetrated the suicide bombing and became a shahid. She reads Rand's farewell letter as the denouement unfolds. The final footage intercuts Safi playing near the separation barrier with the image of a growing tree.