Happy Holidays
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 deep financial troubles come into focus while Hanan, Fifi and Rami's mother, plans her eldest daughter's wedding.
Led by an incredible cast of mostly non-professional actors, HAPPY HOLIDAYS is a dynamic, sociopolitical family saga which thoughtfully considers the myriad intricacies of Israeli Arab life. Directed by Oscar-nominated Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti (AJAMI), the family’s stories and everyday anxieties weave together a collective portrait of a pressurized society, and “speak to a larger culture of silence, shame, social pressure and rampant prejudice” (Variety).
Director & Cast
- Director: Scandar Copti
- Starring: Manar Shehab
- Starring: Wafaa Aoun
- Starring: Meirav Memoresky
- Starring: Toufic Danial
Where to Watch
Photos
Reviews
- "A 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."
- "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."
- "A globally resonant drama that will appeal to cineastes with a taste for tough, gritty, thought-provoking stories."
- "In a time when the whole world seems to have its eyes on Israel and Palestine, Happy Holidays paints a moving picture of living as a Palestinian within Israel and prompts us to consider the ways autonomy is compromised on all sides when society is built on division."
- "Boasting one of the year’s most thoughtful and potent screenplays full of timely themes and rich characterization...."
- "Danial and Burbara both deliver sensitive performances as two men struggling with the conflict between cultural conditioning and their own heart’s desires, with quietly devastating results."
- "Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti makes effective use of an ensemble cast in this portrait of contemporary family life in Israel, replete with its many intricacies."
- "Copti is back with another film that feels very much like his first, probing the complexities of multicultural society in a country that’s very often in the news but not always portrayed in such an authentic and vivid manner."
Orizzonti Award - Best Screenplay
Venice Film Festival
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival
Chicago Int'l. Film Festival
Palm Spring Int. Film Festival
Golden Alexander
Thessaloniki Film Festival
Best Film
Marrakech Film Festival
Orizzonti Award - Best Film
Venice Film Festival