Directed by Shahd Shahroor, ‘Kufiya’ is a short, pointed confrontation that leaves no room for ambiguity. A five-minute film with a spine. It captures the moment racism stops pretending to be subtle and goes straight for the throat.
Shams (Mariam Albishah), a young Palestinian-American woman, sits quietly, reading in a public space. She’s alone, bothering no one. But that’s not enough. A “Karen” (Kelly Wehrer), an older white woman, sees her keffiyeh and recoils. She refuses to sit beside her. Her message is blunt. She sees the scarf, and she sees a threat.
What ‘Kufiya’ does well is refuse to cushion the blow. Karen isn’t polite. She’s a bigot, and she makes that clear. She equates a traditional Palestinian garment with terrorism, with violence, with everything she’s been taught to fear. She’s not looking for a discussion – she’s looking to dominate the bus stop.
But Shams doesn’t retreat. She doesn’t try to appease. Her calm isn’t weakness – it’s control. She defends her identity, not for the “Karen”, but for herself, her family, and Palestine. She speaks plainly: the keffiyeh is not a weapon. It’s history. It’s resistance. And she has every right to wear it.
Co-directed by Maryam Moeen and shot by Imran Abbas, the film is visually stripped-down, which gives more power to the performances. There’s no distraction – just the raw weight of two colliding.
‘Kufiya’ doesn’t try to soften its impact. It speaks directly to the viewer and dares them to look away. A remarkable short film – brief, bold, and absolutely essential.
