From Palestinian filmmaker Scandar Copti, the Israel-set “Happy Holidays” is a piercing, realistic family drama, the inflection points of which reveal deep cultural and political dimensions surrounding gender and ethnicity. Like his Oscar-nominated crime drama “Ajami” (which he co-directed with Yaron Shani), Copti’s second feature follows an ensemble of characters — Arab and Jewish alike […]

Drama “Happy Holidays” marks the long in the works solo directing debut of Palestinian director Scandar Copti, an Oscar nominee as co-director of “Ajami” (2009). Launching with prime slots in Venice Horizons and TIFF Centrepiece, the film follows an extended family of Palestinian citizens of Israel living in Haifa, allowing viewers to experience firsthand how […]