Nominated for an Oscar and has won many awards, The Present -a short film by the British-Palestinian filmmaker Farah Nabulsi- sheds light on human rights violations that Palestinians endure daily.
Produced by Philistine Films and streamed globally on Netflix and international film festivals, the short revolves around a father and his daughter setting off to get an anniversary present for his wife. The short focuses on the injustices and humiliation of having to go through checkpoints as well as the functionally impairing and dehumanizing consequences that can invoke. The father, visibly tired of being treated as such, begins to respond with: “I live here” after an Israeli soldier asks him about the motive behind him needing to go through a checkpoint in Bethlehem.
The film masterfully tackles a symptom of the occupation and accurately depicts the power imbalance that is so often questioned or even reversed in the media.
Having her approach endorsed by Noam Chomsky, Nabulsi switching from finance to film in 2015 holds many talks about video advocacy and the power film as a medium can hold.
"The arts play a crucial role in changing the world and I believe film precedes them all. It gives voice to the silenced, thereby helping build the empathy and understanding needed to effect change,” she states on her official website.
Additionally, the director and producer includes information on her website, allowing those interested in the film to learn more about checkpoints and apartheid. She cites that she strives for achieving a human-focused angle that would allow the Palestinian reality proper exposure.
Amongst the many accolades the film has managed to accumulate, The Present recently won a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) pushing it further along the journey of international acclaim. In her acceptance speech, Nabulsi dedicated the award to Palestinians and their freedom.
“For anyone who has seen The Present … you would know why I dedicate this award to the people of Palestine for whom freedom and equality are long, long overdue …,” she said.
With her directorial debut gaining traction, Nabulsi expresses that she has always loved the film and that she is exactly where she is supposed to be right now.
“I’ve got a bug and am forging ahead where it feels very right,” Nabulsi said.
Nabulsi is currently working on her first feature-length film that is set to take place in the geopolitical landscape of Palestine.