What Walaa Wants

Christy Garland, 89 minutes, Documentary, in Arabic with English subtitles, Canada and Denmark, 2018.  

Raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, while her mother was in prison, Walaa is determined to survive basic training to become one of the few women on the Palestinian Security Forces – which is not easy for a girl who breaks all the rules. Following Walaa from 15 to 21, with an intimate POV and the exuberant energy of its subject, this is the story of a young woman navigating formidable obstacles, learning which rules to break and follow, and disproving the negative predictions from her surroundings and the world at large.   

The film received nominations and awards at various international film festivals and was recognized in TIFF's Canada's Top Ten list of 2018. 

Trailer