Happy Holidays
Synopsis
A panoramic portrait of a patriarchal society, Happy Holidays chronicles the lives of a Palestinian family living in Israel. While studying far away from her home in Haifa, Fifi’s newfound sense of freedom is threatened when she gets into a minor car accident. Injured, but hoping to avoid confrontation with her headstrong mother, she must decide just how much to reveal to her family. Her decision creates a cascade of ripple effects, and a complex web of deceits and half-truths begins to crack the family’s foundations.
Told in four chapters, each from the perspective of a different character, the film intricately balances a bevy of narrative threads to create a swirling, kaleidoscopic drama. Featuring pitch-perfect performances and a shifting structure that subverts expectations at every turn, the film elaborates the clashing demands of tradition and progress.
In Focus: Germany on Screen
This film is part of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival’s In Focus: Germany on Screen collection highlighting the work of Germany’s most gifted auteur filmmakers.
Screenings & Events
Screening
Wed, Oct 23 @ 5:15pm CDT
at Gene Siskel Film Center, screen 1
- Assistive Listening Devices available
Screening
Thu, Oct 24 @ 11:30am CDT
at AMC NEWCITY 14, screen 13
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Film Credits
- Tony Copti, Jiries Copti, Dorothe Beinemeier, Jean Bréhat, Marco Valerio Fusco, Micaela Fusco
- Scandar Copti
- Scandar Copti
- Tim Kuhn
- Manar Shehab, Wafaa Aoun, Meirav Memoresky, Toufic Danial
- Pascal Lemercier
- Fresco Films, Red Balloon Film, Tessalit Productions, Intramovies
Sponsors
New Directors Program Patron
Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation