'Farha': Netflix under fire over scene depicting Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian family
A still from 'Farha'.
A Netflix film that depicts Israeli soldiers executing a Palestinian family has angered the country and its government. Titled 'Farha', the acclaimed film is the debut feature of Jordanian director Darin Sallam and tells the story of the war between the forces of the newly created State of Israel and a loose federation of surrounding Arab countries through the perspective of a 14-year-old girl inhabiting a small Palestinian village in 1948. The film reportedly has a disturbing scene in which Israeli soldiers murder an entire Palestinian family, including a one-year-old infant. The scene attracted the ire of not just common Israelis, many of whom, if Twitter is any indication, have cancelled their Netflix subscription, but also the government.
Israel’s finance minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said in a statement, "It’s crazy that Netflix decided to stream a movie whose whole purpose is to create a false pretence and incite against Israeli soldiers. " He added that he will withdraw funding from a Jaffa theatre that screened the film.
Israel’s culture minister, Hili Tropper, alleged that the film depicts “lies and libels” and that screening it in an Israeli theatre was a "disgrace".
Meanwhile, 'Farha' has received a positive critical response. Screen International's Wendy Ide wrote, "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."
The Film Stage's Jared Mobarak wrote, "Farha's success is predicated on our ability to believe its veracity. Hopefully seeing it through the eyes of a child will help sway hearts and minds to reality."
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The long-festering conflict between Israel and Palestine, which has marked untold bloodshed and loss on both sides in more than seven decades, has made the region one of the global flashpoints. The less-than-flattering portrayal of Israeli forces or Israel in films, whether Palestine or not, usually invites sharp reactions in Israel.