Starring Norma Khouri
Directed by: Anna Broinowski
Release Date: Feb 25, 2007
Truth and fiction: some people have a hard time separating the two. Norma khouri is one of those people. In 2003, Khoui published her memoir, Fobidden Love, about the honor killing of her friend Dahlia by her father for besmirching their familiy. Khoui became an overnight sensation, her book flooding the market and making her a celebrity, particularly in Austrailia. In the press, Khouri was seen as a champion of women's rights in Jordan, a woman who fled her homeland a virgin, and whose only concen was to tell the plight of her friend's death. One year later, revelations about Norma Khouri came to light. First, she had only lived in Jordan until the age of 3 (with a 2 week visit in 2000). Second, that she was not a virgin but a mother of two children who she neglected for her cause. Finally, the biggest shock of all: Khouri's memoir was a work of fiction.
Regardless of your opinion of Norma, you know that people are upset with her; she lied in her book, deceived the media, abandoned her children (on several occasions), and tarnished the image of Jordan. I could go on and on, but let's sum it up: Norma is a great con artist, she can say one thing then later say that she was misquoted. In one instance, a Jordanian journalist goes over all the mistakes Khouri made in her book, from the location of the Jordan river to the choronology in the book. What was Khouri's response? To paraphrase, "It doesn't matter where the river is, I'm just telling the story. It doesn't matter if I get all the facts straight, it's the story". Norma can spin tales like no other; if she is accused of lying about her virginity, she says that it was to protect the cause and spread the truth about "Dahlia".
In this story, there are only 5 truths: There was a woman named Norma Khouri, she at one time lived in Jordan, she wrote a book, became successful, and then was accused of deception. In Norma's world, truth is flexible.
This is a fascinating documentary about a 21st century literary hoax, and the author's strange life.
Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5
Click Here to buy Forbidden Lie$
Directed by: Anna Broinowski
Release Date: Feb 25, 2007
Truth and fiction: some people have a hard time separating the two. Norma khouri is one of those people. In 2003, Khoui published her memoir, Fobidden Love, about the honor killing of her friend Dahlia by her father for besmirching their familiy. Khoui became an overnight sensation, her book flooding the market and making her a celebrity, particularly in Austrailia. In the press, Khouri was seen as a champion of women's rights in Jordan, a woman who fled her homeland a virgin, and whose only concen was to tell the plight of her friend's death. One year later, revelations about Norma Khouri came to light. First, she had only lived in Jordan until the age of 3 (with a 2 week visit in 2000). Second, that she was not a virgin but a mother of two children who she neglected for her cause. Finally, the biggest shock of all: Khouri's memoir was a work of fiction.
Regardless of your opinion of Norma, you know that people are upset with her; she lied in her book, deceived the media, abandoned her children (on several occasions), and tarnished the image of Jordan. I could go on and on, but let's sum it up: Norma is a great con artist, she can say one thing then later say that she was misquoted. In one instance, a Jordanian journalist goes over all the mistakes Khouri made in her book, from the location of the Jordan river to the choronology in the book. What was Khouri's response? To paraphrase, "It doesn't matter where the river is, I'm just telling the story. It doesn't matter if I get all the facts straight, it's the story". Norma can spin tales like no other; if she is accused of lying about her virginity, she says that it was to protect the cause and spread the truth about "Dahlia".
In this story, there are only 5 truths: There was a woman named Norma Khouri, she at one time lived in Jordan, she wrote a book, became successful, and then was accused of deception. In Norma's world, truth is flexible.
This is a fascinating documentary about a 21st century literary hoax, and the author's strange life.
Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5
Click Here to buy Forbidden Lie$
