A controversial Jordanian film portraying Israeli soldiers as merciless killers failed to make it onto a shortlist of 15 films that will vie for the Academy Awards next year, according to an announcement on Wednesday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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"Farha," a debut by Jordanian director Darin Sallam, came under fire in Israel as it alleges Zionist atrocities against Palestinians during the 1948-49 War of Independence, initiated by invading Arab armies.
Israeli officials accused Sallam of "creating a false narrative" as the film includes a shocking 15-minute scene during which Israeli soldiers massacre a family of Palestinian refugees, including a baby.
It first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and after receiving critical acclaim was picked to represent Jordan in the Best Foreign Film category at the 2023 Academy Awards.
When "Farha" hit Netflix, hundreds of Israelis canceled their subscriptions to the streaming service and demonstrated outside the company's headquarters in London, saying the film put Jews, Israelis, and Israeli soldiers in particular, in danger.
Meanwhile, Israel's entry for the same category – "Cinema Sabaya" by director Orit Fouks Rotem – also failed to advance. It tells the story of Arab and Jewish female municipal workers who participate in a video workshop documenting their own lives and viewing each others' – challenging their beliefs in order to get to know one another.
"Cinema Sabaya" won Best Picture and four other honors in September at the Ophir Awards, Israel's version of the Oscars, thereby automatically making it the country's candidate for the Academy Awards.
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