FORBIDDEN LIE$
Directed by Anna Broinowski
Produced by Sally Regan & Anna Broinowski
Released by Roxie Releasing
Australia. 104 min. Not Rated
 

“What do you want, the truth, or what I said?” That’s the disturbing question Norma Khouri poses when prodded by Australian filmmaker Anna Broinowski about her “non-fiction” bestseller Forbidden Love. Touted as a portrait of a saint, a seductress, and a sociopath, this complex and nuanced look at Khouri and what is referred to as “the first great literary hoax of the 21^st century” is enthralling.

The author became the darling of the literary world when her memoir was published in 2003. Within the pages of Forbidden Love (titled Honor Lost in the U.S.), Khouri recounts the honor killing of her best friend, Dalia, in their native Jordan; the young Muslim woman was supposedly killed by her father and brothers for secretly dating a Christian. Khouri’s sensational story of Dalia’s death, coupled with her zealous international campaign against honor killings, propelled the book to bestseller status with half a million copies flying off store shelves—the only problem? Khouri was a fraud. Australian journalist Malcolm Knox exposed Khouri by uncovering her criminal past and revealing that she wasn’t a “refugee-virgin” with a fatwa on her head, but a con artist from Chicago with two kids. After Knox and others documented 73 factual mistakes in the book, and disputed the very existence of Dalia, Forbidden Love was pulled off the market.

An unrepentant opportunist, Khouri made no apologies for her lies and offered only excuses. She disappeared from the spotlight for over a year, but agreed to appear in Broinowski’s documentary with the goal of trying to clear her name and draw attention to the honor killings by extremists. Unlike America’s famous disgraced author, James Frey, Khouri sticks by her story, calling her book “not fact, not fiction, [but] faction.” She claims to have altered specifics in order to protect her family, but maintains that Dalia’s murder was real. It’s fascinating to watch this audacious master manipulator try to sell her yarn. But at times you wonder if Broinowski is being duped, because the director is so polite and deferential—it’s a little maddening. Broinowski freely admits to being drawn in by Khouri, until it became apparent she was getting her kicks by stringing Broinowksi along.

Forbidden Lie$ mixes interviews and dramatic reenactment in a creative and stylish way. Thick with intrigue, the viewer will be bound to have many lingering questions. Like, how did Broinowski get the video equivalent of a smoking gun? Also, interviewees need reoccurring identification to remind us how they were connected with Khouri. Overall, the compelling interviews, rhythmic soundtrack, and striking locations are utterly evocative, from Down Under to the alleged scene of the crime in Jordan. Broinowski’s intriguing look into the life of this conniving and charismatic charlatan rings true. A stark contrast to the subject of her film. Elisa Klein
April 3, 2009