Carl Freeman

Currently screening on Netflix, this low key but incredibly powerful film has clearly upset people who would prefer it if the truth was suppressed. I am aware of a smattering of negative “faux” reviews that always tend to appear when the voices of Palestinians manage to break through the dominant narrative. But it is important to actually review the film too so others can decide whether or not to watch it. I was totally struck by the quality of the acting. The young woman who plays the lead role spends much of the film without lines. She conveys her emotions through facial and physical expression and does so convincingly. There are some standout moments for me. Farha’s father clearly recognises his daughter’s potential and supports her educational aspirations. I love him for that. The scene in which a Palestinian woman whose house key is discovered during a search of her clothing is told she can keep it “as a souvenir”…spoiler alert….that is not the worst thing that happens to her. A huge amount of the film is shot in one intensely claustrophobic setting. It makes for uncomfortable viewing but don’t let that put you off. It draws you in and enables you to engage with the story in a way that a text book can never achieve. The main character is forced to watch horrors unfolding outside the room in which she is trapped from a position of powerlessness. To me, it feels like a microcosm of the events (and aftermath) of the Nakba in which at significantly larger scale, many other Palestinians could only watch as evil acts took place, causing enduring pain and suffering that has transcended generations. The emotions experienced by Farha must have been similar to those of the inhabitants of Kafr Bir'im when (after a welcome Israeli high court ruling) they anticipated returning to the homes from which they had been evicted years before. But their hopes were literally bombed to smithereens when the Israeli airforce razed the village to the ground while the villagers watched from a neighbouring hill. How distressing must it be to witness something so barbaric and not be able to do anything to prevent it. Farha is an important film. It tells a story that others would prefer the world to forget. It blows a hole in the old myth of a land without people for a people without land. It is hardly surprising therefore that there is a concerted effort to denigrate this film in order to deny the reality of the Nakba through faux, negative reviews. Those people for whom Israel can do no wrong are going to hate it. It has already scooped several awards and must be a firm favourite to pick up an Oscar. And when it does….well we know what sort of backlash there will be. I encourage everyone to watch this film. Not just because of the story it tells but because it is brilliantly filmed and superbly acted. In short it is a brilliant move.