Inshallah A Boy

JORDAN, 2023.

Available on streaming platforms. 

The impressive debut feature of Jordanian director Amjad Al-Rasheed is an ode to women’s strength in the face of a patriarchal society. Through the story of one individual and her small world, Inshallah A Boy (انشالله ولد) captures universal struggles in an understated yet gripping tone. 

In the aftermath of her husband’s sudden death, Nawal (Mouna Hawa) finds herself in the distressing situation of potentially losing everything she has, including custody of her daughter. Determined to fight for her rights, she does whatever is in her power to stand up to her cunning brother-in-law, Rifqi (Haitham Alomari), and the unfair juridical system that supports him. She knows that birthing a son would be the only way to safeguard her daughter’s future and her own. Thus, although only recently widowed and a practicing Muslim, she embarks on the challenging and unlikely quest of seeking to get pregnant. She finds an unexpected ally in Lauren (Yumna Marwan), the daughter of her wealthy, Christian employees, who is in an equally dramatic situation.

In order to obtain what is rightfully hers, Nawal must navigate her way through a minefield of tricky situations that could potentially ruin her reputation and get her into legal trouble. Her daily life is filled with instances where she must decide whether to do what is best for her and her daughter or go along with what is socially acceptable. For instance, she must work to pay her husband’s debts but she is criticised for coming home late and leaving her daughter with a neighbour. More often than not, it’s a balancing act that requires shrewdness and unbounded resilience. 

The film’s greatest strength is perhaps its hyperrealist approach, which makes the characters feel authentic and therefore interesting: there’s not a moment that feels contrived or overdramatised. The overlapping of Nawal and Lauren’s stories further enriches the plot. By juxtaposing the lives of the financially unstable, Muslim protagonist with those of a rich, Christian, but equally distressed woman, the film points to the universality of women’s struggles. It suggests that the damage caused by a patriarchal system is not limited to one community, religion or set of people, but has rather found a way to limit women’s freedoms in many different social contexts. 

Mouna Hawa‘s portrayal of Nawal is very effective, and the director presents the character in a satisfyingly nuanced manner. The way she internalises disappointments and swiftly moves on, and the fact that her real desires remain an enigma throughout, seem to support the central argument that society often requires women to mute their identity.

Engaging from beginning to end, Inshallah A Boy is a real gem that might foreshow more interesting work from Al-Rasheed and from Jordanian cinema.