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Films on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Jerusalem: An Occupation Set in Stone?

"This award-winning video examines the issues of housing and residency rights in Jerusalem and how they affect the Palestinian population in the city.  Since it annexed East Jerusalem in 1967, the Israeli government has pursued a deliberate policy to limit the Palestinian population in the city, while at the same time seeking to increase the Jewish population. This video explores the Israeli policies of land confiscation, construction of Jewish settlements, denial of building permits, and the separation of Palestinian families." Produced by the Palestinian Housing Rights Movement, Documentary, Marty Rosenbluth-director, 1995, 55 minutes, English and Arabic with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com

Jerusalem, 1948: Yoom Ilak, Yoom Aleik

"Jerusalem 1948: Yoom Ilak, Yoom Aleik covers the events in Jerusalem and the major villages to the south and west in the period between the 1947 UN Partition Resolution and the first truce between the Arab and Israel armed forces in June 1948. The film challenges the major myths surrounding the war of 1948 that resulted in Israeli statehood and Palestinian exile." Documentary, Leon Willems and Tinus Kramer-Directors,1998, 45 minutes, Produced by BADIL Resource Center and Leone Film & Video, English and Arabic with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

Jerusalem: Within these Walls

"Jerusalem 's Old City is a tiny enclave where some of history's greatest dramas have been enacted. Busy and colorful, it is the fountainhead of three major religions, the site of many of the world's most venerated shrines, and home to 26,000 people of profoundly different cultures who live side by side in a fragile peace. Jerusalem: Within these Walls offers a kaleidoscopic view of the city and its people as they are today-the remarkable outcome of 3,000 years of history, hope, and faith." National Geographic, 54 minutes, 1987
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Frontiers of Dreams and Fears

"Offering a rare glimpse into one side of the Middle East conflict, Frontiers of Dreams and Fears explores the lives of a group of Palestinian children growing up in refugee camps. The film focuses on two teenage girls, Mona and Manar. Although living in refugee camps miles apart, the girls manage to communicate and become friends with each other despite the overwhelming barriers separating them. The film reveals their lives and dreams and their growing relationship, at first through email, then culminating in their dramatic meeting at the fence that separates them at the Lebanese/Israeli border."

Mai Masri/Jean Chamoun, Documentary, Palestine, 2001, 56 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

Tragedy in the Holy Land - The Second Uprising

"Using rarely seen archival footage and interviews with various experts and scholars, "Tragedy In the Holy Land" offers vital information about the roots of the current conflict and the ongoing struggle for survival and dignity. Tragedy in the Holy Land: The Second Uprising fills a void in conventional accounts of the Israeli/Palestinian struggle. It gives the viewer access to the voices and background of one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted conflicts of the last century." Documentary, Denis Mueler-Director, 2002, 121 minutes, English. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

Palestine is Still the Issue

"In a series of extraordinary interviews with both Palestinians and Israelis, John Pilger weaves together the issue of Palestine . He speaks to the families of suicide bombers and their victims; he sees the humiliation of Palestinians imposed on them at myriad checkpoints and with a permit system not dissimilar to apartheid South Africa 's infamous pass laws. He goes into the refugee camps and meets children who, he says, 'no longer dream like other children, or if they do, it is about death.'" Documentary, Anthony Stark-Director, Christopher Martin, Producer, Written and Presented by John Pilger, 2002, 53 minutes. Available at Bullfrog Films http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/index.html

The People and the Land

"Challenging U.S. foreign policy and the conventions of the documentary form itself, People and the Land examines the concrete realities of Israel 's conduct in the West Bank and Gaza, the level of U.S. support for that conduct through foreign aid, and the human cost of that aid in Palestine and the U.S. " Documentary, Tom Hayes-Director, 1997, 57 minutes, English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

500 Dunum on the Moon

"500 Dunum on the Moon is a documentary about Ayn Hawd, a Palestinian village captured and depopulated by Israeli forces in the 1948 war and subsequently transformed into a Jewish artist's colony and renamed Ein Hod. It tells the story of the villages' original inhabitants who, after expulsion, settled in the outlying hills. A critically look at the art of dispossession and the creativity of the dispossessed." Rachel Leah Jones, USA/France, 2002, 48 min. Arabic/Hebrew with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

Judgement Day

"This video, by comparing the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict with the previous struggle for liberation and democracy in South Africa, makes a universal statement about war and the effects of war on young people on both sides of the conflicts. The video first focuses on the experiences of two young South Africans who discuss how they were brutalized in the South African conflict and who explain their current search for healing. After tracing the 1967 occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories and examining the viewpoint of the Israeli settler communities, Judgement Day examines the consequences and perspectives of concerned Israeli citizens and Palestinians affected by the current situation of 'closure' and 'collective punishment.' Judgement Day interweaves these two stories, providing reference points in South Africa 's history of apartheid that resonate with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict today." Documentary, Kevin Harris-Director, 59 min., English. Available at The Cinema Guild http://www.cinemaguild.com/.

The Children of Ibdaa: to Create Something out of Nothing

" The Children of Ibdaa: To Create Something Out of Nothing is a 30-minute documentary about a Palestinian children's dance troupe from Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank . The children use their performance to express the history, struggle, and aspirations of the Palestinian people, specifically the right to return to their homeland. Through interviews and documentation of the children, ages 12 to 14, the video offers insight into their families' displacement from their villages in historical Palestine, the physically and emotionally stressful aspects of life in a refugee camp, and the unique experience of participating in the politically motivated dance troupe. The story culminates in a visit by the children for the first time to demolished villages from which their grandparents were expelled in 1948." Documentary, S. Smith Patrick, 2002, 30 min., Arabic with English subtitles. Available from the Middle East Children's Alliance http://www.mecaforpeace.org/ibdaamovie.html

Gaza Strip

"Gaza Strip follows a range of people and events following the election of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, including the first major armed incursion into "Area A" by IDF forces during this intifada. The film is filmed almost entirely in a verite style, presented without narration and with little explanation, focusing on ordinary Palestinians rather than politicians and pundits. More observation than political argument, Gaza Strip offers a rare look inside the stark realities of Palestinian life and death under Israeli military occupation." Documentary, James Longley-Director, 2002, 74 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles. Available at Arab Film Distribution http://www.arabfilm.com/

At The Green Line

At the Green Line centers on members of the "Refusnik" movement in Israel who have served in the Occupied Territories, and are now refusing their mandatory military service, on the grounds that the Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is both immoral and illegal. In addition to the Refusniks, the film also follows anti-occupation soldiers who have chosen to stay active in the military in the hopes that they can bring peace to the region. The film presents a humanistic view of Zionist Israelis who have deep feelings for their country, but don’t believe in the fight they are fighting. As an active reservist and key figure in the film states: "There’s a difference between being anti-government in Israel and being anti-Israel. I’m not anti-Israel. I’m anti-[occupation] but I will die in order for Israel to exist." On the other hand, an I.D.F. Refusnik states: "I’m refusing because I love Israel…Anybody who thinks they would be dying for a worthless cause is invited to join me." Documentary, Jesse Atlas - Director, 2005, 53 minutes. Available from the director at jesse@atthegreenline.com.

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