by BUSHRA
Caffeinated Muslim
Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time with my sister’s kids – my
nephew and two nieces. I even more than willingly fulfilled some duties as a
khala/aunt and read a few books to my four year-old niece. One book I read was
about an anthropomorphic tractor named Otis that helped save the farm animals,
including the bull that no one ever liked because he always seemed so angry,
from a tornado that touched down on the farm where they were lived. This
was after I read my niece a book about Angelina, the mouse that was a ballerina
and who was going to be a bridesmaid at a princess’s wedding (I know, right?).
A day after I read those books to my niece, I watched the
Oscar-nominated documentary 5 Broken Cameras, which is now streaming on
Netflix and available for rental/Amazon Instant Video/however it is you get
your movies these days. This film takes place in the village of Bil’in in
Palestine. Director Emad Burnat started filming during the time in which a
separation fence that encroached further on the land of the Palestinians for
the settlements began construction. From 2005-2009, Burnat follows the
non-violent protests against this barrier held by his fellow villagers and
their inevitable run-ins with IDF soldiers. On occasion, the villagers are
joined by activists from all around the world, including some Israeli citizens
as well, as they try to reclaim land that is rightfully theirs.
The beginning of the documentary also coincides with the birth of
Burnat’s fourth son Gibreel so as the director films the people in his village
and the protests, he also shows us his family and we see Gibreel grow from a
newborn to 5 years old. When Gibreel is just a toddler, he accompanies his
father and brothers to protests. In one particular instance, the tear gas is
launched like clockwork and even though Gibreel is in a car, you hear him cough
on the gas. Later, as he’s telling his mom about the protest, his mom calls him
a hero. Gibreel continuously sees his dad’s friends getting hurt, family
members arrested, and IDF soldiers setting off tear gas and also going through
their village. Watching 5 Broken Cameras so soon after spending quite a
bit of time with family, I couldn’t help but think that Gibreel’s reality is so
different than that of my own nephews and nieces. By including his family into 5
Broken Cameras, Burnat makes this documentary stand out. He humanizes the
occupation in a manner that even if we can’t relate to it because hopefully
many of us do not deal with outside forces trying to take our land, we can at
least come away with a better understanding of what the situation is and the
effects it has.
Burnat is the objective cameraman in all of this and and so he
grapples with what it means to not only be behind the lens, but to stay there
despite what is going on in front of him. This is a much different documentary
than say something like the excellent Occupation 101. The creators of Occupation
101 give a history of the occupation from its roots, talk to experts, and
also interview several people in the occupied lands. 5 Broken Cameras is
only about the people in Bi’lin and their unending quest to hold onto what’s
theirs. Those of us who watch 5 Broken Cameras have now become witnesses
to the plight. With the Oscar nomination, 5 Broken Cameras has a great
opportunity to be the way in which many more people become aware of the
ramifications of the occupation. Check it out.
Just a note – Although most of the documentary is composed of
material filmed by Emad Burnat, 5 Broken Cameras is also co-directed by
Guy Davidi.
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