For a film whose title literally translates to ‘joy,’ Jordanian film Farha brings grief and war into Netflix’s screens, and it is anything but joyful. Jordaian director Darin J. Sallam’s drama Farha, which premiered on 1 December, paints only an individual tragedy within a world of violence in Palestine. The film tells the story of a small-scale calamity, unfolding through it a bigger picture of injustice, atrocity, and grief. The film follows Farha (played by Palestinian Karam Taher) a 14-year old Palestinian girl who dreams of breaking free from social and gender expectations her small village in Plaestine. Farha, who chafes at the expectations of being married off, has aspirations of becoming a school teacher. In sun-drenched Palestine, there are long talks of dreams between Farha and her best friend Fareeda, until their world comes crumbling down. In impeccable storytelling and heart-wrenching imagery, Farha depicts the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) that took place in 1948 to create the state of Israel. It unfolds the dire effects the Nakba had on Palestinians, expelling them forcefully from their homes. In an interview, Sallam explained that the film is based on a true story of…
Netflix’s ‘Farha’ is an Honest Depiction of the Nakba and Palestinian History
December 10, 2022
