There is a grim sense of inevitability that runs through Sand Storm, yet Jalila's incandescent spirit contains the hope that the old ways are soon to be a thing of the past.

The movie is like a study in prisoner psychology.

It's set in the heart of the desert, but the disturbances of the quietly impressive "Sand Storm" rage not in the natural world but in the intimate corners of the human heart.

As things progress, it begins to seem that such anger is partially what Zexer aims to provoke. And, from there, the empathy follows...