The 17’ 42” short “It’s Complicated”, executive produced by Zoe Saldana, is an Iman Karram one-woman show. Written, produced by and starring Iman Karram, It’s Complicated follows Yara, a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles, whose online Arabic lessons with Hana (Dina Shuhaiber), a poet and teacher living in Gaza, blossom into “a profound friendship built on shared ambition, humor, and sisterhood.”
CAST
Besides Iman Karram and Dina Schuhaiber as her pregnant teacher from afar, Liz Charky was the Director of Photography and Tarek Yamani contributed an original score. Darine Hotait co-wrote the story. Amongst those thanked as supporters, in addition to Zoe Saldana, were Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Pedro Pascal, the Arab Film and Media Institute and the Islamic Scholarship Fund.
IMAN KARRAM
“Iman Karram is an Arab American actress, writer, and producer from Washington, D.C. Raised with a deep respect for education, community, and storytelling, she spent her early years dancing competitively, interning on Capitol Hill, and performing in regional theater before earning degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Film at UCLA.
She recently starred opposite Michael Angarano and Michael Cera in the Tribeca-premiering feature “Sacramento”. Her project “Like The Tide”, was written, produced, and led by Iman. Celebrated for both her comedic instincts and her athletic background, recognized by LeBron James and the LA Rams, Iman brings a dynamic physicality and emotional intelligence to every role she takes on.”
The above 2 paragraphs were quoted from IMDBPRO to explain who Iman Karram is. I did not notice any “dynamic physicality” in her role as Yara. Her conversations with Hana, who is pregnant and awaiting the birth of her child, were “emotionally intelligent.” We hear Iman attempting to master Arabic and cooking and, while interesting, it seemed to skirt the very real issues currently enveloping the Gaza Strip.
Iman Karram, Arab-American Writer, Director and Actress portrays Yara in “It’s Complicated” at the HollyShorts Film Festival 2026.
THE BACKDROP
With all the recent publicity involving Israel and Palestine and the Gaza Strip, a great deal of drama was omitted from this short that could have informed us about the ongoing Gaza Strip situation. That message was not driven home with any forcefulness. We see Iman cooking and chatting with Hana, but the short is largely lifeless regarding the visceral issues laid bare after the assault on Israel by 6,000 Hamas warriors on October 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,200 Jewish civilians and the abduction of 251 hostages to Gaza, in what has been dubbed “the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust.”
THRUST/COUNTER-THRUST
That invasion if Israel by Hamas triggered the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike back at Gaza. There are estimates of 73,000 direct deaths, 463 famine death, and 10,000 presumed buried under rubble in the Gaza Strip, according to Wikipedia.
At least 173,900 Palestinian Arabs have been injured. Gaza now has the most child amputees, per capita, of any nation in the world, with more than 21,000 children disabled and 50% of casualties being women and children.
As of May of 2024, 84% of Gaza’s health centers had been destroyed or damaged, as had all 12 of Gaza’s universities and 80% of its universities. Eighty-five per cent of Gaza’s population were forcibly displaced and the government of South Africa instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice alleging a violation of the Genocide Convention.
CONCLUSION
There was definitely an engrossing story that could have been told to augment the viewer’s knowledge of what is going on in the Gaza Strip.
This short wasn’t it.
