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Inspired by a true story and shot in a real prison, Palestinian filmmaker Mai Masri's stunning feature debut, 3000 Nights, portrays a young Palestinian mother’s journey of hope, resilience and survival against all odds.
Accused of helping a teenage boy on the run, Layal, a newlywed Palestinian schoolteacher, finds herself incarcerated for 3000 nights in a top security prison for Palestinian and Israeli women where conditions are dire. After Layal discovers that she is pregnant, the prison director pressures her to get an abortion and spy on the Palestinian inmates. Terrified but defiant, she gives birth to her child in chains.
Through her struggle to raise her son behind bars, Layal manages to find a sense of hope and meaning to her life. When prison conditions deteriorate and the Palestinian prisoners decide to strike, the prison director warns her against joining the strike and threatens to take her child away. In a moment of truth, Layal is forced to make a choice that will forever change her life.
Over the dramatized eight years, 3000 Nights shows the resilience of Palestinian women and their commitment to remain steadfast and persevere – often creatively – in the face of Israeli subjugation.
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