Film Streams and the Middle East Cultural and Educational Services of Omaha present a special screening of OMAR at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, followed by a panel discussion. This Oscar-nominated film from director Hany Abu-Assad is both a thriller and a romance set against the tension of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Omar (Adam Bakri) is a Palestinian baker who routinely climbs over the separation wall running through Jerusalem to meet up with his girlfriend Nadja (Leem Lubany). By night, he’s either a freedom fighter or a terrorist — depending on who you ask — ready to risk his life to strike at the Israeli military with his childhood friends Tarek (Eyad Hourani) and Amjad (Samer Bisharat). Arrested after the killing of an Israeli soldier and tricked into an admission of guilt by association, he agrees to work as an informant. So begins a dangerous game—is he playing his Israeli handler (Waleed F. Zuaiter) or will he really betray his cause? And who can he trust on either side?

Palestinian filmmaker Abu-Assad (PARADISE NOW) has made a dynamic, action-packed drama about the insoluable moral dilemmas and tough choices facing those on the frontlines of a conflict that shows no sign of letting up. In 2014, the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Feature Academy Award.

Following this one-time showing will be a panel discussion with area college students familiar with the various viewpoints presented in the film.