Invited to the Doha Film Festival as a distinguished guest, Nabulsi opened up about the moment that changed her life, the doubts she had to silence, and the purpose that continues to anchor her filmmaking.
AM: How did this journey begin for you? Was it something that happened overnight?
Farah Nabulsi: No, it didn’t happen overnight. I’m Palestinian by heritage, and about ten years ago I visited Palestine for the first time as an adult. Seeing the reality on the ground, the oppression, the daily struggle, changed me overnight. That experience shifted the course of my life.
AM: How did you move from a career in finance to becoming a filmmaker?
Farah Nabulsi: I was always passionate about filmmaking and theatre from a young age. After that trip to Palestine, I spent two years trying to understand how to creatively express myself and address the lack of empathy surrounding the Palestinian struggle. I realized cinema could be the medium to do that, even though I had no formal film training.
Farah Nabulsi: Yes. I realized that one of the most powerful ways to ignite empathy and counter the dehumanization of Palestinians was through art, specifically cinema. That’s when the desire to tell these stories became undeniable.
AM: Did the people who knew you early on always see you ending up in this creative world?
Farah Nabulsi: Yes, actually. Friends who knew me as a teenager always said they saw me either directing or acting one day. They recognized my passion for drama and creative expression long before I did. I did consider audio at first, especially at a time when podcasts were really taking off. I thought the power of hearing alone could cross borders. But ultimately, I felt more excited, more at home, exploring these stories through cinema.
AM: How did you overcome the imposter syndrome you felt about directing?
Farah Nabulsi: At the beginning, I doubted myself. I thought you needed film school to be a director. But people around me encouraged me, they said I had the vision and leadership to do it. So I threw caution to the wind and directed my first short film.
AM: And your first short film, The Present, went on to have an extraordinary journey.
Farah Nabulsi: The Present won the Cannes Jury Award and received more than 60 international awards, including an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA win. Its success gave me the confidence that this path was truly my calling.
AM: Even with all that success, do you still experience imposter syndrome?
Farah Nabulsi: Yes. I think even the most established artists deal with it. Creativity exposes your vulnerability. But I’ve learned to live with it, it keeps you humble and self-aware.
AM: What does being invited to the Doha Film Festival mean to you, especially without having a premiere this year?
Farah Nabulsi: It makes me feel officially welcomed into both the international and Arab film communities. My rise has been relatively fast, so the festival’s support validates my place within this world, despite any initial feelings of being an outsider.
AM: Do you see yourself continuing to focus primarily on the Palestinian cause, or do you plan to branch out into other subjects as well?
Farah Nabulsi: Palestine is a core part of my identity, so it will always be a natural space for my storytelling. But I also see myself working on other subjects that resonate with me. I’m open to directing projects I didn’t write, as long as they have depth and meaning. Still, the Palestinian story will always remain close to my heart.
Farah Nabulsi: Yes. I think even the most established artists deal with it. Creativity exposes your vulnerability. But I’ve learned to live with it, it keeps you humble and self-aware.
AM: What does being invited to the Doha Film Festival mean to you, especially without having a premiere this year?
Farah Nabulsi: It makes me feel officially welcomed into both the international and Arab film communities. My rise has been relatively fast, so the festival’s support validates my place within this world, despite any initial feelings of being an outsider.
AM: Do you see yourself continuing to focus primarily on the Palestinian cause, or do you plan to branch out into other subjects as well?
Farah Nabulsi: Palestine is a core part of my identity, so it will always be a natural space for my storytelling. But I also see myself working on other subjects that resonate with me. I’m open to directing projects I didn’t write, as long as they have depth and meaning. Still, the Palestinian story will always remain close to my heart.