The Present
Review by Zainab Nouri Al Mufti
Review by Pilar Canón Ríos
The Short:
A simple yet poignant tale, this Oscar nominated short film by Farah Nabulsi invites you along to join a Palestinian father and daughter on a shopping trip for an anniversary gift while encountering the everyday challenges faced by Palestinians living under occupation.
Yusuf and his daughter go out for buying an anniversary present for his wife, but a simple task such as this requires facing the difficulties of crossing the West Bank passage watched by the Israeli military.
The Long:
This short film follows Yusuf, a Palestinian man who plans to gift his wife a new refrigerator for their wedding anniversary. He and his young daughter, Yasmine set out on a shopping trip to buy and bring the refrigerator home. What seems like a simple and undemanding task becomes a great challenge when Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint exert their authority over Yusuf, belittling and humiliating him in front of his young daughter. When Yusuf & Yasmine return to the checkpoint with their new refrigerator, the soldiers once again stop and question Yusuf. He is denied entry for his inability to fit the gift through the checkpoint by a few inches and his defeated cries pour through the screen. Nabulsi uses the mundane act of shopping to showcase how the simple privileges of life are often stripped from everyday Palestinian citizens and exposes the ease with which freedom is stolen.
This short film directed by Farah Nabulsi, a British-Palestinian filmmaker, reflects the harshness of living in the occupied West Bank. Simple things such as shopping and returning home can be difficult tasks for Palestinians at the checkpoint controlled by the Israeli military. In this short film, a father wants to go through the checkpoint with his daughter in order to buy food and a present for his wife. However, the Israeli military does not make this task easy for him. Yusuf holds on to his frustration and anger because he is accompanied by his little daughter, who is also affected by the delay the military imposes on his father before being able to cross. This short but intense story reflects the struggles of everyday life for thousands of Palestinians who have lived and continue living in this situation for years.
To watch or not to watch:
Watch! This calm and composed piece packs a powerful punch in relaying the abuse of authority experienced by everyday Palestinians. Whilst the plot is simple, the film packs so much commentary into the 24 minute runtime. The story works on a very personal level to show one man’s individual struggle whilst subtly highlighting the wider issues of living under autocracy.
It is a must! This short movie is worth watching. It lasts only 20 minutes, but you will feel such a flood of emotions. It makes you empathize with the main characters from the very beginning and the end of the movie will move you for sure. A story of sacrifice and unfairness that remind you this conflict is still going on and there are people severely affected by it.