Writer and director Anna Broinowski goes to extraordinary efforts to try to untangle to what extent Norma Khouri's self described non fiction book is actually a fake. It's a battle of wits as the fast talking, highly intelligent Khouri tries to dig herself out of an endless string of the lies - which she actually, on camera, admits to - that she told in her book about the honour killing of her "friend", Dalia. Like many conmen and women, Khouri can be charming and entertaining and spew 'facts' and figures out in a smooth patter. Broinowski doesn't let her get away with it, confronting her with a head spinning array of documents, interviews with officials, friends and family, dates, names and newspaper articles to refute Khouri's claims. Khouri's reply is either that she had to make those things up to protect herself and people in the book. Or that the book was intended to be "faction", or that everything in the book did happen but for security reasons, she can't say to whom, or when, it happened. In the end, Khouri comes across as horribly muddled. I almost - almost - felt sorry for someone who is that unfamiliar with morals or the truth that she denies reality. She drops a bombshell claim right at the end, that yep, could have happened, or not. And it would explain a lot about Khouri's behaviour. The irony, as the film demonstrates, is that by this time, you cannot believe one thing Khouri says. Have we got to the bottom of Khouri's truth? Or is she just continuing to spin those whopper lies? It's sad, either way, that someone is so lost.
Review of Forbidden Lie$
