The story of the difficult transition of a Palestinian immigrant to America at the beginning of the Iraq War is balanced with a warm and affectionate human comedy in writer-director Cherien Dabis’ authentic and endearing, semi-autobiographical debut feature film. Tired of being harassed at Israeli checkpoints both to and from work, divorced Muna (Nisreen Faour) and her studious teenaged son (Melkar Muallem) are excited to get a green card and move to the US, In her sister’s small Illinois town where they go, her optimism and ethnic pride are tempered but not overwhelmed by the bittersweet reality of their adjustment.