 The film is based on a true experience set in post 9-11 New York. Rather than focusing on the actual terror attacks and political rhetoric, the film examines the hate crimes that ensued as a chain reaction. Al Qarem puts the spotlight on a family s subsequent victimization as a result of the historical tragedy. The family itself, already torn on the issue of immigration and its causes, is thrown into further disarray by the chaos that engulfed such a cosmopolitan city.