Laila's Birthday
A former judge turned taxi driver races across Palestine to bring home a birthday cake, only to find a simple family promise obstructed by the realities of everyday life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- melancholic
- quietly tense
- reflective evening
- world cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a moving, tightly observed Palestinian drama that transforms a small family errand into a portrait of social and political frustration.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Abu Laila's attempt to deliver a cake and present for his seven-year-old daughter becomes an emotionally charged struggle against the conditions surrounding Palestinian daily life.
The taxi driver's day is repeatedly redirected by the obstacles and disruptions encountered while he tries to return home.
A former judge is forced to drive a taxi because the government cannot renew his assignment.
The story follows Abu Laila through the birthday day as he attempts to complete one specific household mission before evening.
Films like Laila's Birthday, and why
The Time That Remains
shared focus on ordinary family life constrained by political occupation, with intimate humanist drama and understated social critique
Omar
shared Palestinian setting, contemplative realism, and protagonists navigating everyday movement under military and political restrictions
The Bicycle Thieves
shared neorealist attention to working-class lives, economic pressure, and small personal goals shaped by larger social forces
Movie Details
- Director
- Rashid Masharawi
- Release Date
- 2009-04-09
- Runtime
- 71 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (5)
Cast
- Mohammad Bakri
- Areen Omari
- Nour Zoubi
- Saleh Bakri
- Walid Abed Elsalam
- Mahmoud Awadd
- Karma Zoubi
- Khaled Horani
- Hossine Nakhla
- Ahmad Abu Sal'oum
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Laila's Birthday about?
- A former judge turned taxi driver races across Palestine to bring home a birthday cake, only to find a simple family promise obstructed by the realities of everyday life.
- What is Laila's Birthday like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Laila's Birthday as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Laila's Birthday violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Laila's Birthday.
- What did critics think of Laila's Birthday?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a moving, tightly observed Palestinian drama that transforms a small family errand into a portrait of social and political frustration.
- Which films are like Laila's Birthday?
- Films with a similar feel include The Time That Remains, Omar, and The Bicycle Thieves.
- How long is Laila's Birthday?
- Laila's Birthday runs 71 minutes.
- Where can I watch Laila's Birthday?
- In United States, Laila's Birthday is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
