The Kite

In Deir Mimas, Lamia is betrothed to her cousin Samy to seal a cross-border alliance. Her mother Amira is reluctant, fearing Lamia may never return if she leaves. Lamia herself is naive about marriage and resistant to the arrangement.

With a no-man's land separating Lebanon and Israel, the couple communicates via megaphones and sees each other through binoculars. Lamia must obtain a border pass to cross, while the families prepare for the ceremony. The tension is high as the crossing is the only way to seal the marriage.

The village gathers at the border gates as a white flag signals the start. Lamia steps into her wedding gown, carries a lone bouquet, and begins her long walk across the border. She looks back toward her family, knowing she might never return.

On the Israeli side, Youssef, an Israeli soldier, is secretly in love with Lamia. His forbidden affection becomes a central, tension-filled thread of the story. The romance complicates Lamia's arranged marriage from the start.

Lamia moves into Samy's home but remains withdrawn. She barely eats, sleeps, or speaks for about twenty days as the emotional strain highlights the gap between her feelings and the arranged life.

During an argument, Lamia confesses that she loves someone else—Youssef. The truth deepens the rift with Samy and his family. The revelation shifts the center of gravity in the marriage.

Lamia is granted binoculars to look at her mother from the other side, but she turns toward Youssef instead. They share a smile that inflames both families. The moment exposes the depth of her attachment beyond the arranged wedding.

After the tense exchange, Lamia's binoculars are taken away, symbolizing the suppression of her illicit connection. The families' anger and disappointment grow.

Lamia's behavior becomes increasingly unacceptable to Samy and his family, making her feel alienated. She is depicted as unwanted within the household. The social pressure pushes her toward a precarious decision.

Samy warns that divorcing would leave Lamia alone, reinforcing her fear of abandonment. Lamia struggles between staying for a possible future with Youssef and returning to the village she calls home.

Lamia returns to her village where she faces insults and moral stigma. A shopkeeper refuses to accept her money, labeling it 'money of dishonor.' The community's judgment underlines the tragedy of the arrangement.

The film ends on a dreamlike, ambiguous note, suggesting Lamia may finish crossing the border in a surreal moment to be with Youssef. The fate of her marriage remains unresolved, leaving interpretation to the viewer.