While celebrating Purim at her university in Jerusalem, Fifi, a young Palestinian woman is hospitalized following a car accident. Though her injuries are minor, she fears her newfound freedom at school will now come under the scrutiny of her conservative parents. Meanwhile, back in Haifa, Fifi’s older brother Rami panics as he faces his own personal crisis — Shirley, his Jewish girlfriend, reveals she is pregnant and plans to carry the baby to term. Behind closed doors, the family’s financial troubles come into focus while Hanan, Fifi and Rami’s mother, plans her eldest daughter’s wedding.
Happy Holidays (the title is ironic) is an expansive, acutely observed sociopolitical family saga which thoughtfully considers the myriad intricacies of Israeli Arab life.
This cleverly structured Palestinian drama explores constriction and complicity in Israeli society… Through its hyperlinked stories, Happy Holidays offers a tangible example of interdependence, a reminder that no one is free until everyone is free.
Lovia Gyarkye, Hollywood Reporter
A dynamic Palestinian family drama chronicles Arab and Jewish lives in Israel… Silence speaks a thousand words in Happy Holidays, from the tensions between family members over what’s unsaid, to quiet acceptance in the face of social norms over what they’re expected to accept as Arabs in Israel.
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety
Scandar Copti
Manar Shehab, Wafaa Aoun, Meirav Memoresky, Toufic Danial
Palestine/Germany/France/
Italy/Qatar
2024
In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles
Best Screenplay, Venice Film Festival Orizzonti; Best Film, Best Actress, Marrakech Film Festival
Book Tickets
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Credits
Producer
Tony Copti, Jiries Copti, Dorothe Beinemeier, Jean Brehat, Marco Valerio Fusco, Micaela Fusco
Screenwriter
Scandar Copti
Cinematography
Tim Kuhn
Editor
Scandar Copti
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