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Arzu is the daughter of a Turkish "guest worker" living in the Netherlands, a conservative man who owns a clothing alteration business and does piecework for clothing manufacturers. Every year he takes his family back to Turkey for the holidays. In typical village fashion, his daughter Arzu has been engaged to another villager's son for many years. Arzu is hoping to be cast as Juliet in the school performance of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but her father won't hear of it. He is adamantly opposed to theater and the goings-on onstage, especially for his daughter. Instead of complying with his wishes, the girl, who is culturally more Dutch than Turkish, pretends she is going to an embroidery class. On opening night, her father finds out about the ruse and tries to keep her at home, working at his business's sewing machines. Her teachers come and persuade him to let her perform. Their chances of getting him to see the play and understand that she is not his property to be disposed of as he wishes are somewhat slimmer, however.