Movie-buffs would by now know all the controversies and hype around Jordan’s Oscar entry for the year ‘Farha‘. The film has been massively politicised by Israeli right wing politicians and followers for its content that speaks for the Palestinians. Farha also faced massive downvoting campaigns against it on IMDB as well. Israeli administration has even threatened to boycott Netflix that has aired the film. Nevertheless, the International Film Festival darling has landed on Netflix India and we strongly recommend the film this weekend.
The film follows Farha, a 14 year old girl in a Palestinian village. While other girls are excited for their friend’s marriage, Farha dreams about pursuing education and going to school in the city like her best friend Farida. One night, a group of local Palestinian militia visit Abu Farha, who is the village chief and mayor. They request that he join their cause in fighting during the Nakba but he refuses. What follows is a nightmarish blot on world history : The Palestinian exodus. Farha makes her way to Syria and her story is now passed on to generations.
The Jordanian historical drama film is a Palestinian girl’s coming-of-age experience during the Nakba, the 1948 displacement of Palestinians from their homeland. The film is directed by Darin J. Sallam, who also wrote it based on a true story that she was told as a child about a girl named Radiyyeh. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2021 and began streaming on Netflix on 1 December 2022. Watch Farha on Netflix India today.