Palestinian-Jordanian Filmmaker Darin J. Sallam on the Backlash to ‘Farha’: ‘I Never Regretted It’

Darin J. Sallam says she has never regretted making “Farha”, her debut film about a Palestinian girl during the Nakba. Its release brought intense criticism and online abuse, but Sallam says the film’s impact continues to resonate and that personal stories can make history more human and affecting.

Inspired by a Palestinian refugee’s story passed down through her mother, “Farha” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2021, became Jordan’s Oscar submission and later streamed on Netflix. Sallam says she has been unable to travel to Palestine since its release. Her next feature, “Churching of Women”, is set in the Levant in 1938 and follows a pioneering female author confined to an asylum; the project is in advanced development and financing.