TIFF ’24: Scandar Copti Returns with “Happy Holidays”

By Abe Friedtanzer

It’s always worth keeping track of filmmakers whose first films are nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature, and sometimes it’s quite a wait to see them return for a sophomore effort. Palestinian director Scandar Copti earned Israel its nine (and third consecutive) nomination in the foreign film category in 2009 along with Israeli co-director Yaron Shani. Fifteen years later, Copti is back with another film that feels very much like his first, probing the complexities of multicultural society in a country that’s very often in the news but not always portrayed in such an authentic and vivid manner…

Like Ajami, there are multiple stories featured in Happy Holidays, which centers on a car accident in Jerusalem that, while leaving her with very minor injuries, presents a problem for Fifi (Manar Shehab) in relationship to her family. Her brother Rami (Toufic Danial) has his own issues that he’s navigating in a romance that continues to get more complicated, and both siblings struggle separately to resolve their messy situations within a culture that doesn’t afford them much privacy or room to keep secrets. 

Happy Holidays is a portrait of Arab life in Israel and the complexities that define it. The role of religion and heritage comes into play in expected and unexpected ways, provoking stereotypes and questions propelled by generational trauma and a need for self-preservation. Fifi and Rami belong to a younger crowd that hasn’t inherited all of their families’ predispositions, but they still have the lived experience of operating within a society that doesn’t always cater to them. There’s nuance and uncertainty to be found in this film that is most concerned with getting to know its characters and the way in which they rebel not just against institutions but also against what they don’t like about their own communities. 

Even after a decade and a half, Copti’s second film feels familiar to the experience of Ajami, particularly in its construction. Attempting to understand the narrative as linear won’t lead anywhere productive, and even paying close attention to events and character developments doesn’t allow for a neat and organized narrative. Assembling the film out of order feels purposeful and helps it to seem like a cycle from which its characters can’t escape, with glimpses of individuality and rebellion that will surely eventually conform to the status quo. Copti has talent and so do his actors, and hopefully he won’t wait quite as long to deliver his next project. B

Happy Holidays makes its North American premiere in the Centrepiece section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Comments

[Elena Gilbert]

This article highlights the role of generational trauma in the film. Could you provide more details on how this trauma is portrayed and how it affects the Retro Bowl characters' relationships and decisions?

[Wewe Re]

Your articles are always a pleasure to read. Keep writing! URL