Happy Holidays: dir Scandar Copti (2024)

Studying away from home has given Fifi (Manar Shehab) a new sense of autonomy, but waking up in a hospital room after minor car accident in Jerusalem and surrounded by her family she will have to decide how much of her new self she’s willing to reveal.

Meanwhile, back in Haifa, Fifi’s brother, Rami (Toufic Daniel), has secrets of his own; his girlfriend’s change of heart has shaken his confidence in the future, leaving him in a tense battle between ego and paranoia. Not knowing where to turn, Rami fixates on the little control he has, desperately searching for a way to steer an outcome that may ultimately be beyond his control.

This panoramic family drama has no perfect characters, yet everyone’s opinion matters. Structured like glimpses into private moments, the story unfolds through a destructive blend of personal quests, poor choices, and the quiet weight of social expectations. Bit by bit, the fractured foundation of one lie gives way to another until all that’s left is the truth …

The film, which screens in the CinemaNA  series of contemporary Arab cinema, premiered at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay. The film also received the Étoile d’Or at the Marrakech International Film Festival and the Golden Alexander at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, among its other awards.

The screening is following by a conversation with the director, Scandar Copti, about the creative process and the cultural realities that shape his work.  “Sharing Happy Holidays through CinemaNA at The Arts Center at NYUAD feels like bringing the film home,” says Copti. “For the past eight years, I’ve been curating this Arab film series, and teaching film here at NYU Abu Dhabi for more than 12 years, so this space is part of my own cinematic journey.”

The film is in Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.