Why are Palestinians defending movie “Farha” following an Israeli backlash against the film’s depiction of events in 1948?

The Netflix movie Farha

Netflix release Farha , directed by Jordan’s Darin J. Sallam, tells 1948 story of girl in village overrun by Israeli militias.

“Farha,” is a new film on Netflix which tells the story of the Palestinian Nakba, which means catastrophe in Arabic. In 1948, Israeli militias violently kicked out over 75% of the Palestinian population from their homes in order to create Israel on land they stole from Palestinians.

Why is Netflix Farha in controversy

This Jordanian film depicts the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948, known as the Nakba. Jordan chose ‘Farha’ to represent it in the Oscar for Best Foreign Film award during the next edition of the world’s premiere film event.

How old is the girl in the movie Farha?

The movie, directed by Darin J. Sallam, a Jordanian woman of Palestinian origin, tells the story of a 14-year-old Palestinian girl who witnesses the murder of her entire family, including an infant, when Israeli militias overrun her village and execute civilians during the Nakba. The girl dreams of moving from her Palestinian village to the city to continue her education.

The village’s exposure to the invasion prompts the girl’s father to hide her in a small room, and her life changes dramatically in a matter of days.

The film, inspired by real events, was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2021.

Jordan chose “Farha” to represent it in the Oscar for Best Foreign Film award during the next edition of the world’s premiere film event.

The film was launched on Netflix on Dec. 1.

Why Israel can not stand Farha and is campaigning to cancel Netflif film Farha?

Screening of the film has caused widespread Israeli anger with threats to cancel Netflix subscriptions.

Israeli ministers and officials have accused the film’s creators of promoting a false narrative and inciting violence against Israeli soldiers.

Israeli officials claim that Farha “presents a false narrative” about the Nakba, in which 760,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homelands.

Prominent Palestinian poet and writer Mutwakel Taha told Arab News that the reason for the Israeli anger was because the country’s actions in the Nakba had been exposed to the world through the film.

A Palestinian narrative of events during the Nakba frightens Israeli, said Taha.

Palestinian writer Tahsin Yaqeen agreed.

Yaqeen told Arab News that Israel considers every artistic or literary work from the side of Palestine as an attack, adding that Israel’s narrative had been challenged and undermined through the work of Israeli historians such as Ilan Pappe.

Shlomo Sand, another prominent historian who has questioned Israel’s actions, has also challenged prominent narratives, Yaqeen said, adding: “We do not need as Palestinians to explain what happened in 1948 and before and after that, because the world knows very well what happened.”

Israelis should view “Farha” and listen to the stories of Palestinians, even if they do not agree, said Yaqeen.

The writer asked: “If the Israelis are not believing what is narrated by the ‘Farha’ film, would they not ask themselves today, what is their government and army doing in the West Bank?”

Yaqeen said that the Israeli reaction to the film was based on “a national rejection because it violated the Israeli narrative.

“It is not artistic criticism of the film’s narrative.”

Sireen Jabarin, an Israeli-Arab activist from Umm Al-Fahm, told Arab News: “Israeli authorities limiting freedom of art is not new, but, interestingly, the Israeli policies in this direction are tending toward racism and extremism and not accepting the narration of the other party, and even rejecting any action that explains the truth to the Palestinians about what happened decades ago.”

What People say about watching movie Farha

A viewer said in Facebook, “The ethnic cleansing of Palestinians has happened and still happening.

* Photo of a Palestinian baby killed in Deir Yassin massacre in 1948 by the Haganah. Haganah was a Zionist gang specialized in massacres and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Watch ” Farha” on Netflix!