Trending Now - Hiam Abbass Explores War's Toll in 'atonement' Film Narrative

WHO:

Deadline - Hiam Abbass portrays Mariam, a matriarchal grandmother in the film "Atonement."

The Hollywood Reporter - Reed Van Dyk is the director and screenwriter of "Atonement."

The Hollywood Reporter - Kenneth Branagh plays Michael Reid, a character based on journalist Dexter Filkins.

The Hollywood Reporter - Boyd Holbrook plays Second Lieutenant Lou D’Alessandro.

WHAT:

Deadline - "Atonement" is based on a 2012 New Yorker article by Dexter Filkins.

The Hollywood Reporter - The film depicts the experiences of an Iraqi family, the Khachaturians, during the Iraq War.

The Hollywood Reporter - The film includes a sequence where three men from the Khachaturian family are killed by U.S. Marines due to a misunderstanding during combat.

The Hollywood Reporter - The film runs for 1 hour and 58 minutes.

WHERE:

The Hollywood Reporter - The film is set in Iraq during the early days of the Iraq War and includes scenes shot in Jordan.

The Hollywood Reporter - The Khachaturian family relocates to Glendale, California, after the events depicted in the film.

WHEN:

The Hollywood Reporter - The film's events take place in 2003, during the early days of the Iraq War.

The Hollywood Reporter - The narrative skips forward ten years after the initial events.

WHY:

The Hollywood Reporter - The film aims to humanize the experiences of civilians affected by war and to reflect on the consequences of American interventionism.

HOW:

The Hollywood Reporter - The film uses a narrative structure that contrasts the experiences of the Khachaturian family with those of U.S. soldiers, highlighting the psychological impact of war on both sides.

(UPDATED May 15, 2026 17:28 UTC)

In the upcoming film "Atonement," directed and written by Reed Van Dyk, Hiam Abbass stars as Mariam, a grandmother whose family experiences the turmoil of the Iraq War. The story, based on a 2012 New Yorker article by journalist Dexter Filkins, follows the Khachaturian family as they navigate the tragic consequences of a misunderstanding during combat, ultimately relocating to Glendale, California, ten years later. With a runtime of one hour and fifty-eight minutes, the film aims to humanize the civilian experience of war while contrasting it with the perspectives of U.S. soldiers.