4. 5 Broken Cameras
The Palestinian question is one which has taxed far more sophisticated and learned individuals than I and it still remains unanswered. As I write this the celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking (probably best known for his appearance in that Go Compare advert) has become embroiled in controversy after withdrawing from a conference hosted by Israeli president Shimon Peres in Jerusalem as a protest at Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Emad Burnat is a Palestinian farmer who bought a camera in 2005 to document the birth and the early years of his new-born son Gibreel. "When something happens in my village," Burnat says, "my instinct is to film it." This instinct leads him to film the nonviolent demonstrations against settlements and a barrier wall which encroaches on Palestinian land. The five cameras of the adumbrative title were all damaged, and in one case shot, in clashes with Israeli soldiers or police. They are displayed as shattered badges of honour. This evocative and moving Oscar nominated film will inspire you to believe that you can make a difference. For a political documentary though this is strangely apolitical, offering a very personal glimpse of the day-to-day struggle of the villagers to retain their homes, their land and their dignity. The story unfolds in tandem with the growing up of Gibreel. Practically his first words are the wall, cartridge, and army and if that doesn't bring a tear to your eye you might want to check your hydraulic fuel levels, you are clearly a robot. In collaboration with Jewish Israeli filmmaker Guy Davidi, Burnats footage is edited into an extraordinarily poignant tale of resistance against seemingly insurmountable odds. The documentary shines a despairing spotlight on a side of the conflict which is rarely shown or ignored.