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Towelhead – nf – This is a very effective and sensitive film about the sexual awakening of Jasira, a 13 year Arab-American girl, played very well by Summer Bishil. The setting is Houston, Texas in 1990-91 during the first Gulf War where Jasira has just moved in with her divorced father. The movie as the title suggests is also about racism as we see the thinking and interactions of the main characters. They are her father, an overbearing Arab American proud of his Lebanese background but with little sensitivity or understanding of his daughter, an unhappily married next door neighbor army reservist who is acting out his attraction to Jasira, Thomas the new black high school boyfriend of Jasira who is also ready to act out his attraction and feelings towards Jasira despite the rejection by her father and finally the other couple on the block, which includes a pregnant women, who are more empathic towards Jasira and are trying to protect her. The movie is based on a novel by Alicia Erian with the screenplay and the direction by Alan Ball . There are several well done painful moments in the film .While the storyline may not be universal, it will not be hard to appreciate the struggle of this young women as she encounters her desires and certain realities of life. If you view it now, most of you will probably be seeing this movie on Netflix where you will have the opportunity to view two long drawn out panel discussions led by Director Alan Ball about the use of the title which is a serious racist slur. The points made are quite worthwhile and can be summarized in the first six or eight minutes of the first discussion which also include some interesting comments by Summer Bishil. 2007