Rana Abu Fraihah facts for kids

Rana Abu Fraiha (Arabic: رنا أبو فريحة, Hebrew: רנא אבו פריחה; born October 8, 1990) is an Israeli documentary filmmaker. She is also a videographer, which means she records videos. Her most famous film is called In Her Footsteps. This movie tells the story of her own family.

Rana's Early Life and Family

Rana Abu Fraiha was born in Tel Sheva, a town in Israel. Her mother, Rudaina, was an English teacher. Her father, Awda, was an engineer. He was also the first ever Bedouin engineer in Israel. Rana is one of five children. Her sister, Yasmeen, is a doctor and a social activist. Her brother, Ameer, was very good at math and now works in technology. Rana was also good at math when she was younger. She even joined a special program for talented students at Ben Gurion University when she was in fifth grade.

Moving to a New Town

When Rana was five years old, her family moved to Omer. This was a nearby Jewish town. Her family was one of the first Bedouin families to live there. Her parents wanted to move because Tel Sheva did not have kindergartens. Omer was mostly Jewish and very nationalistic. This made growing up there a bit difficult for Rana.

Rana later shared how this experience shaped her. She felt like an outsider for many years. She even tried to distance herself from her Arab and Bedouin identity. But over time, especially after making her film, she learned to accept who she is.

Rana's Education and Work

Rana studied architecture first. Then, she decided to study documentary filmmaking. She went to the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Today, she also works as a counselor for an organization called Looking Forward. This group helps talented young people from less privileged areas. It prepares them for higher education in film, TV, and other arts.

The Film In Her Footsteps

While Rana was studying, she still felt like she didn't quite belong anywhere. This feeling was similar to her childhood experiences. She often felt upset and blamed her parents for their choices. To express her feelings, she started filming her family. She filmed their daily lives. She didn't plan to become a filmmaker at first. But this activity became very important to her.

A Mother's Journey and a Family's Challenge

When Rana was 13, her mother, Rudaina, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She bravely fought the illness for many years. Rana knew her mother was very sick. Documenting her life and family became even more meaningful.

The film's main focus changed. It became about Rudaina's wish to be buried in Omer. This was the town where she had lived for over 20 years. In Israel, burial rules are based on religious law. This means that a Muslim woman cannot be buried in the Omer cemetery, which is for Jewish people.

The film shows the family's struggle. They faced legal and social challenges after Rudaina's death. This struggle was similar to Rana's own childhood. She felt like she was part of the community but also an outsider. The film also explores ideas about identity and the choices we make. Rana's father always believed in the importance of education. The family's move to Omer was for this very reason.

Film's Success and Impact

In Her Footsteps was released three years after Rudaina's death. It first showed at the Jerusalem International Film Festival in 2017. There, it won an award for best directing. The film was then shown in cinemas across the country. It was also screened in Arab and Bedouin communities. The film started many important discussions among the public.

Later, In Her Footsteps won several more awards. These included the Best Documentary Award at the Berlin Jewish Film Festival. It also won the Shulamit Aloni Prize for Human Rights. And it received the Ophir Award for Best Documentary.

Rana's Films

• Zorouni (2014)
• My Land of Israel (student film, 2015)
• In Her Footsteps (2017)

Awards and Recognition

• 2018 Shulamit Aloni Prize, for In Her Footsteps
• Listed on "The Women Who Are Shaking Up Culture" by Walla!, 2017
• Listed on Forbes "30 Under 30" list, 2019

See also

• List of female film and television directors