Speed Sisters

Although it's rarely addressed directly, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank persistently impinges upon the fortunes of the Middle East's first all-female racing car team. Based in Jericho and managed by Maysoon Jayyusi under the auspices of the Palestinian Motor Sports and Motorcycle Federation, Speed Sisters Marah Zahalka, Betty Saadeh, Noor Daoud and Mona Ennab come from very different backgrounds and have contrasting goals. Director Amber Fares is particularly intrigued by Marah and Mona's relationships with their fathers and with the rivalry between Marah and Betty, as the former rather resents the fact that the latter's looks deflect attention away from her superior driving skills. But, as this fascinating profile reveals, the charismatic quartet is bent on confounding the expectations placed upon young Middle Eastern women and on taking on the boys on the makeshift tracks constructed around vegetable markets and helicopter pads. Moreover, the Sisters are not prepared to allow military checkpoints or tear gas canisters to get in their way, even though their determination to succeed as both women and Palestinians draws a mixed response from within their community.