The Jordanian film Farha, by director Darin J. Sallam, in which IDF soldiers are seen murdering a Palestinian family during the War of Independence, will be released on Netflix on Thursday. The film takes place in 1948 in Mandatory Palestine and is about a 14-year-old Palestinian girl whose father locks her in a warehouse because of IDF attacks in the village.
The film includes, as mentioned, among other things, a scene in which Israel Defense Forces soldiers execute a family with a baby. Farha was also chosen to represent Jordan at the Oscars this year.
Ben-Gvir slams film
The chairman of Otzma Yehudit, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, said: "The Jordanian incitement film that will be broadcasted on Netflix proves how much hypocrisy there is in the world towards Israel, which is attacked by murderous terrorism even before its establishment. This mind engineering should be handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with determination by informing and presenting the true picture of who the murderers and the bloodthirsty are. We must not pass in silence over the attempted blood libel that will echo throughout the world."
The film was screened at several festivals around the world, including the Toronto Film Festival. The director said on stage there that her film is based on true stories she heard.
"I heard about a Palestinian girl who was locked in a room to protect her life. She also shared this story with a Syrian girl who grew up and got married, and she shared this story with her daughter, which is me. Since then I haven't stopped thinking about this girl," she said.
The trailer for the film states that it is based on true stories.
Sallam's reason for making the film
I felt like the Nakba catastrophe is an important event that is being ignored and that is missing In Arab cinema.
Darin J. Sallam, director, Farha
On her choice to make the film, which was chosen to represent Jordan in the competition for the Oscar for international film, she added: "Many directors talk about Palestine, but I felt like there was nothing about the origin of everything that is happening today, which is 1948. I felt like the Nakba catastrophe is an important event that is being ignored and that is missing In Arab cinema. There are documentary films, but there are no feature films, which are the films that evoke and convey more emotions."
Netflix chose not to comment.