Happy holidays

Four interconnected characters share their unique realities, highlighting the complexities between genders, generations, and cultures. Rami, a Palestinian from Haifa, is dealing with his Jewish girlfriend’s sudden change of heart about her planned abortion. His mother, Hanan, is facing a financial crisis and becomes entangled in complications while seeking compensation for her daughter’s Fifi accident. Miri is forced to confront her daughter’s depression while also working to undermine her sister’s pregnancy with Rami. Fifi grapples with the guilt of hiding a secret that risks her family’s reputation and her burgeoning relationship with Dr. Walid.

The inspiration for Happy Holidays began with a conversation I overheard as a teenager. A female relative told her son, “Don’t ever let a woman tell you what to do,” referring to his wife. This paradox revealed how deeply entrenched patriarchal values are and how they compel even women to uphold them. Later, during my university years, I observed similar patterns in Israeli society, where many narratives and rituals are leveraged to support and sustain both the patriarchy and militarisation of Israeli society. Happy Holidays begins with a car crash during the Purim holiday and ends during the siren of Israeli Memorial Day. These holidays are “celebrated” in the film, and their effects on our characters build up, eventually leading the audience to emotionally experience the impact of these reality construction mechanisms. In Happy Holidays, I aim to critically examine these mechanisms and their impact on individuals’ values through two intertwined stories told from four perspectives. The stories showcase good human beings trapped in a corrupt system. Through these stories, I hope to spark conversations about the values and beliefs shaping our lives and challenge viewers to rethink the norms they live by. No one is truly free until women are free, and no one is truly free until we all are free.

PRODUCTION 1: Fresco Films – Tony Copti
Al Nidal st., Everest 3 building
P606, Ramallah, Palestine, State of
Tel. 972 544822255
info@frescofilms.com

PRODUCTION 2: Red Balloon Film - Dorothe Beinemeier
Behringstraße 16B
D-22765, Hamburg, Germany
Tel. 49 4050090808
dorothe@redballoon-film.de

PRODUCTION 3: Tessalit Productions - Jean Bréhat, Bertrand Faivre, Emma Binet
3-5 passage Gustave Lepeu
75011, Paris, France
Tel. 33 01 43 13 10 60
jbrehat@tessalit.com

PRODUCTION 4: IntraMovies - Marco Valerio Fusco, Micaela Fusco
Via E. Manfredi, 15
00197, Rome, Italy
Tel. 39 06 45 777 931
marco@intramovies.com

ITALIAN DISTRIBUTION: Fandango S.p.A.
Viale Gorizia, 19
00198 Roma - Italia
+39 06852185
Eduardo De Mennato - eduardo.demennato@fandango.it
Gianluca Pignataro - gianluca.pignataro@fandango.it
Francesca Esposito - francesca.esposito@fandango.it

WORLD SALES: Indie Sales - Nicolas Eschbach
32 Rue Washington
75008, Paris, France
Tel. 33 01 44 83 02 27
neschbach@indiesales.eu

PRESS OFFICE: Indie Sales – Constance Poubelle
32 Rue Washington
75008, Paris, France
Tel. 0144830227
cpoubelle@indiesales.eu

ITALIAN PRESS OFFICE: Marianna Giorgi
info@mariannagiorgi.it