‘The Present’ is nominated for the 93rd Academy Awards for Best Live-action short film category and has been streaming exclusively on Netflix from the 18th of March. The film is directed by the Palestinian- British director named Farah Nabulsi, marking her directional debut and starring renowned actor Saleh Bakri. ‘The Present” produced by Philistine Films with Farah Nabulsi as the executive producer along with the producer Ossama Bawardi.
This particular Netflix’s latest addition to the short Arab movies list comes as a part of its commitment to presenting Arab stories to the world, and its belief that great stories can come from anywhere.
What ‘The Present’ Is About
The short movie centers around a Palestinian man and his young daughter who set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift, showcasing the struggles they go through between soldiers, segregated roads, and checkpoints. Each morning, Yusef who is a doting father-of-one has no other choice but to queue for hours and navigate the harrowing Checkpoint 300 which is an infamous, crowded Israeli crossing point between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to get to work on time.
But, on his wedding anniversary, Yusef has arranged to pick up a new fridge for his wife named Noor, and even though the store is in Jerusalem, he is determined to endure the dehumanizing process, the armed soldiers’ scrutinizing gaze and even humiliation, to go shopping with his young daughter, Yasmine. Is this just the beginning of a long, challenging day or it could be worse?
What Can Be Said About ‘The Present’
The movie is described as an ‘eye-opening piece of art that captivates from the offset’. Other than that, some say that the film is a ‘fantastic showcase for the restrained but powerful acting talents’ and a ‘powerful snapshot of the humanity some of us sacrifice just to buy our eggs for the week’.
It is also surprising to see ‘The Present’ in the shortlist for Academy Awards given the plot pattern, its emotional exploitation, and its conscious simplicity. Else, it presents one-sided messages and a loss of authenticity to the situation.
Sources: YouTube Ajyal Film Festival, Netflix