CinemaNA: Happy Holidays - Scandar Copti

A screening of the film, Happy Holidays, accompanied by a live conversation with Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti

A minor car accident in Jerusalem threatens to become a significant problem for Fifi (Manar Shehab) unless she can stay one step ahead of her intuitive mother. Studying away from home gave her a new sense of autonomy, but after waking up in a hospital room surrounded by her family, she will have to decide how much of her new self she’s willing to reveal. Back in Haifa, Fifi's brother, Rami (Toufic Daniel), has secrets of his own. His girlfriend's change of heart has shaken his confidence in the future, leaving him in a tense battle between ego and paranoia. Not knowing where to turn, Rami fixates on the little control he has, desperately searching for a way to steer an outcome that may ultimately be beyond his control.

This panoramic family drama has no perfect characters, yet everyone's opinion matters. Structured like glimpses into private moments, the story unfolds through a destructive blend of personal quests, poor choices, and the quiet weight of social expectations. Bit by bit, the fractured foundation of one lie gives way to another until all that's left is the truth.

"A piercing, realistic family drama, the inflection points of which reveal deep cultural and political dimensions surrounding gender and ethnicity. [...] It's a film about performances in more ways than one. Not only is every single actor a treat to watch, but they all play characters forced to play a specific role in society. It's in brushing up against those unspoken boundaries that the drama here is born." - Siddhant Adlakha: Variety

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