CinemaNA: Happy Holidays - Scandar Copti

Film Screening: Happy Holidays

Event Details

• Film: Happy Holidays
• Special Feature: Live conversation with Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti.

Synopsis

• Setting:

  • Jerusalem: Fifi (Manar Shehab) faces a minor car accident that risks becoming a bigger issue unless she stays ahead of her perceptive mother.
  • Haifa: Fifi's brother, Rami (Toufic Daniel), grapples with personal secrets and a shaken confidence after a breakup.

• Themes:

  • Family dynamics and personal autonomy.
  • The tension between personal truth and social expectations.
  • Struggles with control, ego, and paranoia.

Story Elements

• A panoramic family drama with flawed characters.
• Personal quests and poor choices drive the narrative.
• Social and cultural dimensions of gender and ethnicity are explored.
• The unfolding of truth through layered deception.

Critical Acclaim

"A piercing, realistic family drama... reveals deep cultural and political dimensions surrounding gender and ethnicity. Each character grapples with societal roles, creating drama from unspoken boundaries."
— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety

Additional Resources

• Watch the Trailer: YouTube Video