The Present
~ Farah Nabulsi ~ 2020 ~ 25m. ~
Farah Nabulsi
“You will never get to people’s minds
unless you get to their hearts.”
Shot over 6 days in Palestine, mostly at Checkpoint 300 in Bethlehem, Farah Nabulsi’s dive into filmmaking is edgy, gritty, and pours emotion into every single scene.
The Present throws the viewer into the world of Yusef (Saleh Bakri) and his 6-year-old daughter as they navigate their way into the West Bank for a new refrigerator as their current one is breaking down.
Only 6 minutes in, the Israeli army separates the two of them at the border crossing to make an example of their authority, unsatisfied with the way Yusef answered their questioning.
Yusef’s daughter can’t grasp why they are being held in cages for a shopping list.
Hours pass, they are released to get their fridge, but the journey back home is a true test of character. When Yusef is told the fridge can’t be brought back because it won’t fit through a turnstile, tensions begin to flare, and his daughter takes matters into her own hands.
The final minute is beyond moving, and may even move you out of the seat you’re in.
As seen by: Jonathan Pastore
10.27.2020