The British-Palestinian filmmaker, Farah Nabulsi, emphasized how women can continue to evolve with their passion- something Nabulsi does rather successfully in a manner centered on the Palestinian struggle.
Having been born in Britain to Palestinian parents, Nabulsi states on her website that they were: “fortunate enough to make a home…unlike the millions who continue to remain stateless in refugee camps.”
Working as a stockbroker, Nabulsi says that she has always loved the film, but what made her take a career leap was her trip to Palestine as an adult. During her childhood, Nabulsi recalls visiting Palestine. Although she has mentioned that her parents never discussed Palestinian politics in her home, she has gratefully stated that her visits to Palestine “laid certain seeds.. certain connections to the people.”
After these trips came to a halt post the first Intifada, Nabulsi, now a mother, went to visit her homeland with her children. In 2015, she turned to film whereby she has founded a production company and a website (oceanofinjustice.com) that details how the Palestinian people are made to suffer such as through forced expulsions, settler violence, economic strangulation, etc.
Nabulsi discusses how spreading knowledge about what really goes on in occupied Palestine is especially important faced with how inaccurate Western media can be. She has stated that:
While our families and friends send us updates of the latest atrocity on the ground, headlines and news bulletins mislead and confuse; colonialism becomes a “conflict,” ongoing ethnic cleansing, “evictions,” attacks on civilians, a “clash.”
Recognizing the privileged position she is in, Farah decided to speak up for her heritage. Since then, she has directed 4 short films all based on different injustices that Palestinians are faced with. Switching to film with no prior formal training, the director has disclosed that there are times when she felt like an impostor. However, and admirably so, Farah took it upon herself to watch filmmakers’ masterclasses on YouTube and reading up on film.
"I always quote the late director Stanley Kubrick, who said: 'The best education in film is to make one,' and that’s what I did. Sometimes jumping into the deep end is the best way,"
Now with an Oscar-nominated BAFTA award-winning short film under her belt, Farah Nabulsi has made history as the first female Palestinian to compete for the Academy Awards.
Mentioning that skills due to motherhood help her maintain a creative and logistical balance, she continues to amplify Palestinian voices and create her own path as an Arab woman.
Once asked how she handles working in film, a male-dominated industry, Nabulsi wittily says that working in a bank with men makes dealing with this industry a breeze.
“Film-making? Bring it on. I can handle that.”