Watch American East

American East is a gripping drama film that showcases the life of Arabs living in the United States. The movie follows the lives of numerous individuals, including an Egyptian-born entrepreneurial cab driver named Mustafa (Sayed Badreya), his Palestinian-American wife Salwah (Tay Blessey), and his Muslim counterparts. The film explores how these individuals deal with their daily struggles living in America post-9/11. The film's main focus is on Mustafa, who has lived in the United States for over 30 years and is beloved by his community. Mustafa's taxi is an essential vehicle for his community and serves as a platform for discussing and debating the Arab-American experience.

Apart from Mustapha, Tony Shaloub, who stars as Sam (a successful lawyer), has a powerful presence throughout the movie. Sam is a friend of Mustafa's and supports him when he is discriminated against for his ethnicity. Erick Avari plays Omar, a community leader and business owner who mentors local youth to stay away from extremist ideologies.

American East touches upon the complexities of being an Arab-American in the United States. The characters' struggles to deal with daily life's discrimination and prejudice convey a poignant message that resonates with many ethnic and minority communities in the country. One of the most powerful scenes in the movie features Mustafa refusing to take a fare from a man who refuses to sit in the back of his cab due to his ethnicity.

The film's portrayal of stereotypes and misconceptions of the Arab-American community is nuanced and sensitive. It showcases the diverse range of experiences that the community embodies. American East has rightly been described as a film that humanizes and de-otherizes the Arab-American experience.

The portrayal of women in the movie is also noteworthy. Salwah, Mustafa's wife, is a strong, intuitive, and intelligent woman. The movie breaks the myth of oppressed and backward Muslim women's stereotypes by showing Salwah's character as an empowered individual who supports her husband and children while also contributing to society.

The movie's cinematography is remarkable, and the backdrop of Los Angeles's skyline provides a perfect setting for the story. It creates a vibe of yin and yang in the film because the contrast of the breathtakingly beautiful city with the daily struggles of the immigrant community unsettles the audience and makes them uncomfortable with the reality check.

Additionally, the music score is another highlight of American East. It is a blend of traditional Arabic and modern western music, conveying the characters' conflicted identities in the movie. The dialogues of the movie are a mix of English and Arabic, adding more authenticity to the film.

In conclusion, American East is an insightful movie that humanizes the Arab-American experience and showcases the resilience and courage of a community that has dealt with so much since 9/11. The film is not just about the Arab-American community, but a universal story about immigrants' experience and their daily struggles with discrimination and prejudice, ultimately making the movie a must-watch for audiences around the globe.

American East is a 2009 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes.