Mariam Ziman

In Bahraini culture and traditions, the Good Omen is the act of hanging the "thobe al-nashal," a woman's traditional dress, usually reserved for important celebrations, over the roof of one's home as the joyous announcement of the return of a family member from travel, or a long absence.

Al-Hajiz (The Barrier), the movie deals with social and emotional barriers imposed upon individuals by society and also with those that the individual imposes upon himself. The characters in the movie lack the ability to communicate with each other and therefore, fail to understand their own emotions. Hence, they fail to maintain healthy relationships with each other because of the lack of love amongst them. This failure is attributed to the surrounding environment that dose not allow for healthy relationships to grow and prosper.

Set during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, this epic drama is both the personal story of a middle-class Bahraini family and an account of the hopes and faith the Arab world had in Jamal Abdul Nasser as its leader. Intimately told, it skillfully interweaves the personal and the general to reveal a society built on male domination and female sacrifice, as women attempt to enjoy freedom of choice.