The movie Hoda’s Salon, and the accusations of pornography that accompanied it, brought back the spotlight on its controversial director, “Hani Abu Asaad”.
During the film, which he also authored, Hani Abu Saad discusses the idea of the Israeli occupation authorities exploiting dirty methods in order to recruit and overthrow some Palestinian women in the labor force.
The film, which received Dutch funding, was shown months ago at the Toronto Film Festival, but the controversy erupted after it was shown at the Beirut Women’s Film Festival, as well as its leakage via the Internet.
Huda’s Salon is Hani Abu Assad’s third film that provokes controversy. In 2005, he presented the movie “Paradise Now”, which dealt with the issue of Palestinian “martyrdom” women, and presented a different vision from the prevailing Palestinian, which sparked widespread popular criticism.
Although the work achieved a strong artistic success, as it won the Golden Globe Awards, the Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Award, in addition to being nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, this did not prevent it from being attacked by the other party, as some accused the director of acknowledging the operations that It is described in the West as suicidal and given a humane character to be passed on and accepted by society.
After 8 years, Abu Assad, who also holds Dutch citizenship, returned to raise the controversy again through the film “Omar” in 2013, which also presents a different vision about the Palestinian resistance, and deals with the personal side of the resistance’s life, including emotional relationships, and betrayals. And women, which also sparked a violent attack against him in Palestine.
Hani Abu Asaad rejects the criticism directed at his films, and says: “I am with the resistance wholeheartedly, but this does not preclude that we disagree with them intellectually. Difference does not mean rejection, and there is no way to reject the occupation except through resistance, even with a film or a word.”
Hani Abu-Assad won many international awards, most notably the “Golden Globe” in 2006 for his movie “Paradise Now”, which was also nominated for the “Oscar” award for best foreign film.
Abu Asaad went through the experience of working in Hollywood through the movie “Mountain Between Us,” which starred Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, noting that he has projects for other films, but “Corona has disrupted all projects. I have film work that I look forward to starting in 2022.”
The movie “Huda Salon”, written and directed by Hani Abu Assad, starring Manal Awad, Maysa Abdel Hadi, Ali Suleiman, Kamel Al Basha, Omar Abu Amer, and Samer Basharat.
“Huda Salon” revolves around Reem, a young mother married to a jealous man, who goes to a beauty salon in Bethlehem, but this regular visit turns into a tragedy when Huda, the owner of the beauty salon, succeeds in drugging Reem and photographing her in a disgraceful situation with another young man. Blackmailing her with the aim of recruiting her to the intelligence of the occupation authorities.
Although the film was not shown in cinemas, some of the intimate scenes it included caused a shock on social media, amid calls for it to be banned and the director and author Hani Abu Asaad accused of promoting pornography, while the film’s two heroines, Manal Awad and Maysa Abdel Hadi, received the greatest anger from the audience. , because of their bold scenes.
The trailer for “Huda’s Salon” mentions that it is categorized as adults only because it contains scenes that are not suitable for children and family viewing. However, this did not prevent the Palestinian Artists Association from asking the competent authorities to ban the screening of the film permanently, and to hold all the participants in it accountable for production, directing and acting, and to hold them accountable legally.