Al-hadiya

I don't know about the original Arabic title, but the English translation of this Academy Award nominated short, "The Present," has a neat double meaning, as it refers to both the wedding anniversary gift of a refrigerator and to the current state of affairs of the apartheid system of occupation and border control of the West Bank. None of the ethnic, historical, political or religious underpinnings are explored here, thankfully; it's just a simple tale of a man and his daughter going twice through a checkpoint to go shopping and return home and the indignities and pain suffered there from.

Indeed, the supposed Israeli guards aren't depicted flatteringly at all, but it is rather the opposite of what one sees in most movies that reach the West and are located somewhere in the Middle East, where Arabic and Palestinian characters are often played by Israeli actors instead of, as here, reportedly, the other way around. And, I look forward to seeing "White Eye," the Israeli nominee for the same award.

Our most fundamental assumptions about the humiliations and threat of violence that Palestinians in the West Bank suffer in their daily lives, go beyond what is already proved true in this beautifully filmed and acted, simple story of an anniversary celebration. A man and his young daughter cross the border to buy his wife a present. There are no gun shots. No one dies but the future of this small family are all to easy to imagine and that's where the power of this sensitively told tale lies.

The Present is a heartbreaking film that illustrates the reality of the israeli occupation in Palestine. In this short film, the director was able to brilliantly capture the essence of the inhumane israeli occupation of Palestinians by demonstrating its unjust treatment of Palestinian citizens and showcasing the checkpoints, segregated roads, constant interrogation and continuous armed inspection that Palestinians must go through every single day when performing tasks as simple as going shopping in their town. The film also sheds light on the physical and mental repercussions of this occupation on the men, women and especially children who suffer because of it.

The Present is a Palestinian short film that takes a very simple scenario of a man living in the West Bank who sets out with his daughter to buy his wife an anniversary gift, against the many checkpoints and surveillances that come with being a Palestinian.

The success of this movie is that it doesn't try to showcase the horrors of the occupation, rather a more relatable scenario that can be empathized with universally, using that to share what it's like to be on the receiving end of the occupation. It's a movie that I feel everyone should watch, and is one I would wholeheartedly recommend.

A 24 mins that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you get to experience a glimpse of the protagonist's perspective as he suffers just to get his wife...an anniversary present.

The film's introduction builds a connection between audience members and the characters of the short film just through one scene. With the help of the production design, our first look at the three characters that the story revolves around takes place at their house in a small bedroom where they share a cute family moment. As well as, cute husband and wife moment that tells us the relationship that the married couple have and the struggles they face. Thanks to this short introduction, an empathy is created in our hearts that carries on till the end of the struggling short trip that the protagonist makes.

Watched on: November 26th, 2023 My rating: 9/10.