Farha

2021

1h 32m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

87%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Farha is a 14 year old girl who lives in a small village in Palestine, 1948. Girls her age are traditionally married off or spoken for yet Farha wants to continue her education despite traditions and the restrictions of schooling in her village for boys only. Inseparable from her best friend Farida, who lives in the city but who spends weekends in the village, Farha dreams of joining her at a school in the city. Life in the village is threatened and aggressively changed by the looming danger. Just when Farha's father is finally convinced and Farha's dream is at last coming true, the danger comes closer to their village. As violence escalates, Farha is brutally separated from Farida. Terrorized for his daughter's safety and fearing for her life, Farha's father locks her up in a concealed, small food storage space by the house, promising to return. But he never does. Over the course of the next few days, Farha undergoes a life-changing experience while buried in the tight dark space, her only connection to the outside world is a small hole in the wall and a few cracks in the wooden door. Farha witnesses a lot of events, outside and inside the room, setting off her journey of transformation and forcing her to grow up and leave her childhood behind.

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Namrata Joshi

The New Indian Express

It’s a distinct genre of conflict cinema that is all about the human toll of war that...shows how violence has become endemic to the lives of innocent people...

Sep 15, 2023

Full Review

Beatrice Loayza

New York Times

“Farha” depicts a relatively small-scale tragedy considering the scope of the violence. Yet the drama, which primarily unfolds in a tiny storage room, speaks volumes.

Dec 1, 2022

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Screen International

The use of sound is particularly effective in evoking the airless oppressive quality of Farha's hiding place, and the relentless attrition of the certainties of her life.

Dec 11, 2021

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

We only see snippets of the horrors Farha witnesses, but we hear them acutely. This is a visceral film and not an easy watch, but essential.

May 17, 2024

Full Review

Pallavi Keswani

The Hindu

Through impactful storytelling, Farha extends its singular focus on war’s effects on its most burdened victims — civilians.

Jan 23, 2024

Full Review

Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

For a controversial account of a massacre said to have been committed by Israelis during this time, see the 2022 documentary Tantura.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 21, 2023

Full Review

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Alisa I

Great and beautifully told depiction of a major historical event, that led to so much suffering. A sad but truly important movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

Full Review

Jack R

Beautifully and simply told story

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/24

Full Review

Fefe A

Beautiful and painful to watch for her suffering

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/24

Full Review

Nur V

great movie to teach people about the nakba, especially in times like this of a genocide

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/24

Full Review

CarmenRose B

Farha is a quiet, beautifully made film about the Palestinian experience of 1948. I'm neither Israeli nor Palestinian tho I genuinely know a lot about both histories & I thought this was a very accurate representation of so many Palestinians' experiences in the holy land in 1948 & after. Before watching it, I was curious as to what some Israeli objections to it are. I found them honestly preposterous. 1 complaint was that Farha was usurping Anne Frank's story & presenting Israelis as the Nazis. Anne Frank lived in hiding for several years before she was ultimately murdered. Yes, Farha is a 14 year old girl, but that's about the only similarity. She's hidden for a few days in a food pantry as her village is attacked until she forces her way out. While stuck she sees Israeli soldiers kill an innocent Palestinian family. 1 Israeli soldier is ordered to kill a newborn baby but not to waste a bullet as he does. He isn't able to do it & simply leaves the baby instead. Each side of every story needs to be heard & Farha does a beautiful job telling 1 Palestinian story of 1 girl in 1 village. It is based on a story that really happened.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/24

Full Review

Ash S

One of the best movies I've ever watched! Such a important and outstanding movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/24

Full Review

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Darin J. Sallam

Director

Karam Taher

Farha

Ashraf Barhom

Farha's Father

Ali Suliman

Abu Walid

Tala Gammoh

Farida

Sameera Asir

Um Mohammad

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Synopsis

Farha is a 14 year old girl who lives in a small village in Palestine, 1948. Girls her age are traditionally married off or spoken for yet Farha wants to continue her education despite traditions and the restrictions of schooling in her village for boys only. Inseparable from her best friend Farida, who lives in the city but who spends weekends in the village, Farha dreams of joining her at a school in the city. Life in the village is threatened and aggressively changed by the looming danger. Just when Farha's father is finally convinced and Farha's dream is at last coming true, the danger comes closer to their village. As violence escalates, Farha is brutally separated from Farida. Terrorized for his daughter's safety and fearing for her life, Farha's father locks her up in a concealed, small food storage space by the house, promising to return. But he never does. Over the course of the next few days, Farha undergoes a life-changing experience while buried in the tight dark space, her only connection to the outside world is a small hole in the wall and a few cracks in the wooden door. Farha witnesses a lot of events, outside and inside the room, setting off her journey of transformation and forcing her to grow up and leave her childhood behind.

Director: Darin J. Sallam
Screenwriter: Darin J. Sallam
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2022
Runtime: 1h 32m

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