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Netflix 'Farha' targets in 'smear campaign' amid Israeli threats

Netflix's 'Farha' is based on a true story and is also the Jordanian entry for the 2023 Academy Award

By Web Desk
December 04, 2022
Netflix Farha targets in smear campaign amid Israeli threats
Netflix 'Farha' targets in 'smear campaign' amid Israeli threats

Spam accounts are targetting Netflix's Farha to bomb the ratings of the film, which depicts the Israeli forces' massacre of a family in the Nakba events of 1948,

According to Middle East Eye, the movie's ratings slummed from 7.2 to 5.8 in a few hours, leading many activists and campaigners to allege a targeted campaign in the works.

As per activists, several negative reviews have come from the same source, containing similar comments, such as calling the film "one-sided" or a "big lie."

One review, titled "propaganda and fantasy," gave the film one star and called it an "over-emotional drama."

Former Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin said the negative reviews were a coordinated effort to discourage the film and stop people from seeing it.

"The pacing of the posts reveals it was coordinated," he told Middle East Eye.

"With each passing hour, dozens and dozens of vapid and vile reviews would appear, making wild accusations trashing the film. It was clear people had not seen the film and only wanted to damage its reputation," he added.

Several accounts posting negative reviews of the movie were recently created, as per Shihab-Eldin,

He noted that almost 1,000 negative reviews suddenly posted on the website during a 24-hour period, which contained "inflammatory and hateful language."

Netflix's Farha tells the story of Nakba 1948, where a teenage girl family was murdered by Israeli militias, including a baby.