MovieChat Forums > The Honourable Woman (2014) Discussion > Kasim's parents (Spoilers) and why they'...

Kasim's parents (Spoilers) and why they're central to the story

posted 10 years ago by KittyKogs
6 replies | jump to latest

My theory.

Kasim is the son of Nessa and the man with the burned face. He was one of their captors when they were hostage. I assume Nessa was raped but we'll see. (We can safely assume Atika is not Kasim's mother. The DNA test did not have any of Kasim's DNA, the toothbrush was new, and so is irrelevant.) Why is this important?

Nessa is the older of the two Stein children. In theory she and her heirs will get the bulk of the family fortune. We can assume the hostage takers, and Kasim's father, are Palestinians. The Stein family simply cannot afford, politically, to have a half Palestinian child with a legal claim on the family name, reputation and fortune.

Before sending him to his death Nessa gave Nathaniel a message via her assistant (Frances). She said "you were right about what you saw". I think this refers to him saying he saw "rage" in Nessa which was odd for a peacemaker.

I think Nessa has no love for Palestinians. They killed her father in front of her, they kept her hostage for over a year and she has borne a Palestinian son; the knowledge of whom could destroy the Stein empire. I think her captors forced her to agree to use the Stein name and money to help Palestine in order to keep her secret. I think she is full of rage at being forcibly comprised to play the role of peacemaker to a people she now hates.

I don't think this is going to end well ;)

[–] sluggr-2 10 years ago

It is still a hypothesis, not enough yet to support theory status, but a good one nonetheless. For 8 years the others have tolerated her behavior but now there is increasing resistance to the point where it WILL go pro-Israel regardless of what Nessa wants to do.

I wonder if the kidnapping was done as a means of having the parentage validated by an outside authority. Clearly the Stein household is thinking far ahead of where the police are at the moment, though the cop did make the comment that there were no traces of paternal DNA in the sampleon the toothbrush, alluding to the fact that HE knew it was BS.

"I think my percentage of Chimp DNA is higher than others" Cleaver Greene

[–] oakcourt 10 years ago

Really interesting comments from both of you. I know nothing about Middle East politics, our own are enough to be grappling with. What I can guess is that they are far more intense than here and possibly anywhere else (if we were in the 1970's I would say it was on a par with Northern Ireland). There are still too many ideas going round in my head at the moment for me to make a firm comment. As I say though good analysis from both you you.

Don't be late, don't hesitate, this dream can pass just as fast as lightning.

[–] AlbaITA 10 years ago

It's a good theory and certainly it looks like that, but there are things which doesn't fit.

Maybe she meant "raged" by the whole situation.
Nessa was not the head of the company,until she was kiddnaped.
Her brother, Ephra, was leading the company until then and he was the one who launched the first phase of this project, about communication in Palestine.
He was the lover of Atika before the kiddnapping and he was the one who sent her to Nessa, as her translator that day, OR she made him to choose here because she has an agenda.
She is a palestinian and "if you were her, you would know how to wait".
I can't figure her out tbh.

I thought that Kasim father could be this Saleh Al-Zahid character but he is listed here on IMDB on 3 episodes only. On the other hand Nathaniel is listed on 7 episodes and he was killed in the 3rd one already, so maybe it's just an error of IMDB.
Saleh Al-Zahid is the one who is contacting Nessa directly, or it looks like. He said Nessa's burned his face, something she only would've known.

Now clearly Nessa is damaged, or tormented, but I don't understand (well, I know we are not suppose to, not yet) what is she suppose to do for them while they "keep her secret safe"? Just doing philanthropic work?

Furthermore, the voice of a woman (I think it's Atika?) at the beginning of each episode saying: "if it's the price...for a nation", makes me think.
Which nation, Palestine or Israel? My guess would be Palestine but who knows...

Anyway, the most important thing though, which contradict this theory is what Hugo Blick is saying in this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut8VGdBHKyk

He says that he wanted to "tell the story of a woman who was idealistic and charismatic enough to take a step in front on to an international political stage. Not seeking to resolve the situation but no longer to contribute to the problems of it."
So, according to his words Nessa's character, actions and agenda was (still is ?)that of a peacemaker, truly.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] adekuna 10 years ago

Nessa is younger than Efra. Their mother died giving birth to her.

[–] movie80 8 years ago

She called him my older brother a few times too.