Ever heard of that area called “the West Bank”? Or that period where Israel was fighting Palestine for a particular area across the borders of the two countries? Well, this documentary will give you a better insight into what really happened.
The documentary film is about Emad, a Palestinian farmer living in Bil’in, a small village located near the West Bank, which just so happens to be the area under Israeli takeover. Emad’s fight brought his first camera to film the life of his fourth son, Gibreel. He uses it for home movies and village ceremonies but fairly soon, the camera becomes a diary to keep and witness the struggles of his fellow villagers when the Israeli army starts to slowly take over their land. Documenting protests, arrests, and the steady dismantling of his community’s farmland. Emad made this film in a span of over five years, with each camera breaking during the resistance. Since these are basically “home videos” you will witness many stories, warm moments like the village olive picking ceremonies where the community came together to celebrate and Emad was the village videographer, sad moments like the death of Phil, Emad’s best friend who we meet as the big elephant loved by all the children but also one of the strongest fore runners for the resistance movement, and finally simple memories like Gibreel taking a bath.
Something about watching an event unfold from a victim’s point of view, details that the media missed, events that happened behind closed doors from a camera that is not loyal to any politician, media house, or country. Emad was recording not as a journalist, but as a father, farmer, neighbor, and protester. All they wanted was to protect their land, a source of their livelihood, and they somehow achieved it when the Israeli Supreme Court eventually ruled the barrier’s route illegal. This was achieved with the help of neighbouring villages, and the amazing part is that, through it all, the government does not show up. Bil’in is now famous for its weekly non-violent protests against the Israeli army.
Important to note that this award-winning documentary is co-directed by Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer, the owner of the cameras, and Guy Davidi, an Israeli filmmaker—a rare collaboration that shows that at times, when governments/politicians are fighting, it never necessarily means that the people agree. Reminds me of the lyrics in Different Colours by Lucky Dube: “Hey you government, never try to separate the people, hey you politician, never try to separate the people here.”
Yes, I strongly recommend this must-watch documentary, especially now with the Israel-Palestine war going on. If you want to better understand the history of Israel and Palestine, this is a good start. I’m not saying it will give you the full picture of what is going on—this is one side of the story—but it’s a small, important puzzle piece you should know.
