Nisha is an ordinary Norwegian teenager, hanging out with her mates, playing basketball, flirting with the boys. She's also the daughter of an ultra strict Pakistani family who often see her more in terms of a family asset than a human being. When her father finds her messing about with a boy in her room she swiftly finds out which half of her life dominates.
In order to save 'face' within their community the family use lies, threats and physical coercion to remove Nisha to her paternal grandmother's household in Pakistan. There's she's treated as little more than a servant, and punished if she steps out of line, kite flying the only innocent pleasure she's allowed. Can she adapt to this new life, or will there be a way back? We, the audience, suffer with Nisha, but will her to overcome her setbacks. The drama is intense, but powerful, and leads to an unforgettable end scene.
The relationships portrayed are complex. Nisha's father reacts selfishly, yet under his brutal responses there is also love, and the affection between the two is never far away. Understanding is another things however, and the film exposes the extremist mentality that can come up with the inhuman concept of "honour" killings, the pressures second generation immigrants face in reconciling the two cultures they are a part of, and the difficulties social services face in intervening.
Beautifully acted, with Adil Hussain giving an outstandingly nuanced performance as father Mirza, there's also some wonderful cinematography. Emotionally harrowing, but this is an important movie and one that deserves a wide audience.
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