Happy Holidays Review: A Much Needed Film

Scandar Copti’s Happy Holidays is a culturally necessary film that encourages us to question the status quo and be open to changing it.

However, this film shows us how untrue that assumption would be and presents us with the harsh reality of life in Israel for a minority and discriminated group.

Happy Holidays follows four separate strands of narrative, which eventually become interconnected through the various characters we meet during the film. Rami (Toufic Danial) is a Palestinian man who is struggling to come to terms with his Jewish girlfriend’s decision about their unborn baby. His mother Hanan (Wafaa Aoun) is trying to face he financial struggles of the family while also getting involved in their daughter’s private life. Elsewhere, Miri (Merav Mamorsky) has to confront her daughter’s declining mental health while also influencing her sister’s decision over keeping her baby or not. Lastly, Fifi (Manar Shehab) is keeping a secret from everything which could damage her entire life and growing relationship with Dr. Walid (Raed Burbara).

With a plot that moves through different religious holidays, some of which I personally had never known much about before watching the film, Happy Holidays portrays the culture of the country with subtle but very significant details. In some of its most heartbreaking scenes, the movie also makes a point of showing us the widespread racism in Israel. It doesn’t necessarily talk about this at length, but it includes it in its plot almost seamlessly. This is not only authentic to the actual situation, now more than ever, in Palestine, but it also creates this idea that his very story could sadly not exist without it.  

Most notably, Happy Holidays also reflects on the condition of women that we see to this day in Israel. With the director being from Palestine and the political situation in the country, this understandably feels now more important than ever before. However, there are points in the film when it does feel like the focus on women is lost. Naturally, the main characters are very important to the overall narrative of the movie, and thus deserve all the time and attention needed, but it does take away from the film’s choice of highlighting women’s issue through their stories and by championing their voices.

However, the narrative structure of Happy Holidays is too confusing at times, with four narratives constantly overlapping. The idea is fascinating, but it takes away the focus from the characters and story just when we start getting involved in the plot in question. The narratives do eventually come together in the last act, which is the most successful one of the three, but the film could have done with a tighter focus on the family most of the main characters are from, as well as maybe only focusing on less characters to have the time to explore them properly and thoroughly.

Initially, I was a little disappointed with the ending of Happy Holidays. A part of me could not help but root for the main character and believe she would achieve her happy ending, but as the film goes on it becomes increasingly clear that as a woman, she – or any other female character for that matter – cannot have that. In this sense, the film’s ending is in fact very realistic, but unfortunately not very happy or satisfying for the characters we have now learned to know and love. Ultimately, it is the only right way to end this story and remain true to the sentiment and mission of the statement.

Happy Holidays had its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2024. Read our review of Alpha!