The Palestinian drama Happy Holidays, directed by Scandar Copti, won the coveted Etoile d’Or at the 21st Marrakech International Film Festival, held Saturday. The film, set in Haifa, explores the lives of Israeli and Palestinian characters navigating family and societal challenges. With prior accolades from the Venice Film Festival and Thessaloniki Film Festival, it also claimed a shared Best Actress award for stars Manar Shehab and Wafaa Aoun.
This year’s jury, led by Luca Guadagnino and featuring figures like Andrew Garfield and Virginie Efira, unanimously selected Happy Holidays for its emotional depth and cultural resonance. The story unfolds across four chapters, revealing personal and collective struggles with a “novelistic” approach to relationships and identity.
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Screenwriter Mona Copti used her acceptance speech to address the Middle East conflict. “How did dehumanization become normalized?” she asked, expressing hope that the film offers insight into societal indoctrination and its impact on freedom and morality.
Other winners included Mo Harawe’s Somali drama The Village Next to Paradise and Silvina Schnicer’s Argentine film The Cottage, which shared the jury prize. Schnicer criticized Argentinian President Javier Milei’s plans to defund the national film industry. Polish drama Under the Volcano also earned acclaim, with Damian Kocur winning Best Director and Roman Lutskyi named Best Actor.
The festival, which saw over 40,000 attendees, showcased a strong lineup of African and Arab cinema. Organizers announced expanded efforts to support the distribution of regional films, including this year’s winning entries, through the Atlas Distribution Award.