THE PRESENT: FILM REVIEW
In Farah Nabulsi’s short film The Present, Yusef (Saleh Bakri), its Palestinian protagonist, just wants to buy his wife a gift for their anniversary — a brand new fridge to be exact. But what would otherwise be a simple journey becomes unnecessarily complicated. Israeli soldiers attempt to humiliate Yusef and his daughter Yasmine (Mariam Kanj) at every checkpoint — locking them up, rifling through their possessions, and ordering him to meet demands which only serve to flaunt their power. Nabulsi’s powerful 25-minute short weaves politics into an ordinary task, using an incredibly empathetic story to depict the regular dehumanization of Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Present opens with a scene of Yusef waking up at the crack of dawn after a night spent sleeping outside on a cardboard box. He stiffly gets up and checks the time. Suddenly, Yusef finds himself shuffling through a sea of Palestinian men, all trying to cross an Israeli checkpoint to do routine things like go to work, go shopping, and visit their families. In The Present, Yusef’s story may be highlighted, but his is just one of many.
Yusef and Yasmine encounter their first battle early in the film, as the refrigerator store is located on the other side of a checkpoint near their house. When they attempt to cross, Israeli soldiers relentlessly interrogate Yusef, asking him where he’s going and what he’s doing. “Shopping,” Yusef responds. It’s not enough. He must strip off his jacket, his belt, and even his father’s watch. “Please, not now, I have my daughter with me,” Yusef rebuttals. The Israeli soldier cocks his gun. Yusef is helpless, and the power dynamic is made clear. Yasmine, adorned in a bright red coat, watches her father reluctantly obey the unwarranted orders — in her eyes is not confusion, but a sorrowful understanding.
Nabulsi’s primary characters — a warmhearted father and a bright and brave daughter — are central to the film. The contrast between their relationship as it exists on its own and the way that they are viewed by the world around them is stark. Yusuf is portrayed as a well-meaning man — one who undoubtedly loves and protects his daughter like any good father would. Yasmine trusts and looks up to her father, turning and clutching onto him during moments of doubt throughout their journey. But when they have to face Israeli boys who were put in positions of power, Yusuf and Yasmine become powerless. No longer can Yusuf promise his daughter protection — and the soldiers they face want nothing more than to expose his helplessness as much as they can.
Nabulsi’s directorial debut is both impressive and stunningly simple. Through telling one family’s story, Nabulsi shines light on a host of others — all of whose lives are made more difficult due to forces outside of their control. Spoiler alert, Yusuf and Yasmine do eventually return home with a fridge — but attached to it is not only a hastily-tied ribbon, but a journey fraught with trauma.