Here are a variety of films covering life in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank.
9 Star Hotel (2007)
This documentary follows Ahmed and Muhammad, two young Palestinians who illegally cross the border into the Israeli city of Modi'in in search of work. Together they share food, belongings and stories while living under the constant threat of imprisonment from soldiers and police.
1948: Creation and Catastrophe (2017)
Through personal recollections of both Palestinians and Israelis, this film reveals the events of the most pivotal year in the most controversial conflict in the world. It tells the story of the establishment of Israel as seen through the eyes of the people who lived it. It is simply not possible to make sense of what is happening in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today without an understanding of 1948.
Ameer Got His Gun (2011)
Ameer Abu Ria enlists in the Israeli army even though he is exempt from mandatory service because he is a Muslim Arab. He believes that his induction is the way to equality and a way to belong to a state he wants to love. An eternal optimist, Ameer wishes to be both a proud Arab and an enthusiastic Israeli. He discovers that his enemy is reality - Israeli Jews consider him a fifth columnist while Arab citizens consider him a traitor of the worst kind, one who turns agains his brothers.
Blood and Oil (2006)
This documentary discusses the breakup of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the haphazard division of the "liberated" territories, and the ongoing conflicts these decisions spawned. This film provides a broader context in which to situate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Born in Gaza (2014)
Filmed during the 2014 siege of Gaza, which left 507 children dead and 3,598 wounded, "Born in Gaza" follows a group of young children growing up in a war zone. 'We were eight kids on the beach. We came to play football' states Hamada, 13. 'Then the shelling started. Four boys, all aged between nine and eleven, were killed. Motasem, 11, and Hamada were wounded. . . . . 'The situation is really complicated. We have a war every two years' states' 13 year old Mohamed. 'I often think about our situation and I never see the end.' It's estimated that 400,000 children in Gaza are in desperate need of psychological help. And the violence seems self-perpetuating. Traumatized by what happened on the beach that day, Hamada dreams of revenge.
Colliding Dreams (2015)
This documentary recounts the history of one of the most controversial political ideologies of the modern era. Amidst a century-old conflict in the Middle East, the Zionist idea of a homeland for Jews in the land of ancient Israel remains little understood and its meaning is often distorted. This film tries to address the void with an exploration of Zionism's meaning, history, and future.
Dgrad' (2016)
In Gaza, two hairdressers and ten customers of various ages and backgrounds spend the day trapped in a beauty salon while Hamas police fight a gang in the street.
The Diaries of Yosef Nachmani (2006)
This film looks at the complex personality of Yossef Nachmani, the man largely responsible for the first Zionist settlements in the Galilee. The film focuses upon events in Tiberius, a mixed community where Arabs and Jews coexisted harmoniously. Nachmani left behind a series of diaries that shed light upon events in Galilee in those years. This historical documentary is an important source for the ongoing debate regarding the basic foundation myth of Israel.
East Jerusalem West Jerusalem (2014)
David Broza, the Israeli singer-songwriter, sets out to realize his dream of cooperation and dialog betwen Israelis and Palestinians through music. During 8 days and nights of joint creation in an East Jerusalem studio, a hopeful message of equality and unity arises.
The First 54 Years (2021)
"Military occupation" is an abstract term, open to mistaken interpretation. What does "occupation" imply? What does it mean for people living under occupation? What means must be employed so that occupation can be implemented? This film instills meaning in the term "occupation" in the form of a "manual for military occupation" derived from the testimonies of those people who implemented it in practice.
Hurdle (2019)
In the shadow of a wall stands a new generation of Palestinian. With defiant creativity they prove that no matter the height of the obstacle, one can always climb. HURDLE reveals an important and intimate story emerging from the hearts and actions of Palestinian youth as the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories reached its 50th year.
In the Land of Pomegranates (2017)
This film is a suspenseful, multi-layered documentary centered on a group of young people who were born into a violent and insidious ongoing war. They are young Palestinians and Israelis invited to Germany to join a retreat called 'Vacation from War' where they live under the same roof and face each other every day.
In the Name of the Temple (2014)
Following the 1967 war, for the first time in 2,000 years Jewish soldiers trod the mount which is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy site for both Islam and Judaism where the ruins of Herod's Temple stand. Believing this victory was a divine sign, militants of the messianic movement, allied to the nationalist right, opposed any territorial concessions and prepared for the next stage: the reconstruction of the Jewish Temple in the place of the holy mosques. This film shows how the rise of Jewish nationalistic fundamentalism led to the settlement movement in the West Bank which may now have reached the point of no return.
Inventing Our Life (2011)
Set against the backdrop of the kibbutz movement's 100-year history, this film reveals the heartbreak and hope of Israel's communal living experiment as a new generation of women and men confront an essential question: can a radically socialist institution survive in a new, capitalist reality? In this documentary, director Toby Perl Freilich explores the modern history of Israel, from its revolutionary settlers to the political upheaval that shook the socialist foundations of the state.
Last Stop: Palestine (2013)
In response to ongoing Israeli provocations in the West Bank, a new generation of Palestinians undertook a new strategy of fighting back with video cameras rather than guns.
The Law in These Parts (2012)
A gripping and revelatory investigation into the military legal system put in place by Israel over four decades ago to govern the occupied Palestinian territories - the repercussions of which are felt to this day by both sides.
The Other Son (2012)
This is a provocative tale of two young men, one Israeli, the other Palestinian, who discover they were accidentally switched at birth. The film explores the complex repercussions on themselves and their respective families.
Room 514 (2012)
Anna, an investigator in the Israeli military, is ordered to interrogate a senior officer who is alleged to have abused an Arab family. Her colleagues urge her to stop the investigation - it is too political, too complex, and too notorious. Instead, she fastens her teeth into it, eschewing the approval of male superiors in favor of morality and justice for the victims.
A Stone's Throw from Prison (2013)
Between 2010 and 2014, nearly 3,000 Palestinian children were arrested by Israeli forces for reasons like throwing stones. Many were kept in solitary confinement for days and subject to questioning without the presence of their parents or a lawyer. This documentary tells the story of Mohammad Zedani, a 14 year old boy, who was arrested 6 times and was left traumatized by his experiences.
The Story of the Jews (2014)
Simon Schama presents a five-part look at 3,000 years of Jewish history and the impact Jews have made on the world. The series follows Schama as he travels from Ukraine and Russia to Egypt, Israel, and Spain, exploring the imprint that Jewish culture has made on the world and the drama of suffering, resilience, and rebirth that has gone with it.
Tears of Gaza (2010)
This film is less a conventional documentary than a record - presented with minimal gloss - of the 2008 to 2009 bombing of Gaza by the Israeli military. This film focused upon the impact of the attacks on the civilian population.
Thinking About Religion and Violence. Episode 15, Religious Violence in Israel (2018)
A big challenge in understanding inter-religious conflict is figuring out the role national identity plays. See why this is the case in modern-day Israel, where conflicts between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity demonstrate the fractious experience of overlapping histories and the limits of secular power in a complex religious world.
War in the Modern World: Episode 12, The Arab-Israeli Wars: Victory without Peace (2022)
The Six-Day War, though a testament to Israel's military might, did not resolve its problems. Explore how the Israeli state dealt with instability both inside of and beyond its borders post-1967. Follow the events that led to the historic Camp David and Oslo Accords. And examine contemporary clashes between Israel and hostile groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
West of the Jordan River (2018)
Amos Gitai returns to the occupied territories for the first time since his 1982 documentary Field Diary with this portrait of the citizens, Israelis and Palestinians, who are trying to overcome the consequences of occupation. This film shows the human ties woven by the military, human rights activists, journalists, mourning mothers, and even Jewish settlers. Faced with the failure of politics to solve the occupation issue, these man and women rise and act in the name of civic consciousness.
Where Should the Birds Fly? (2013)
The film tells the compelling and moving stories of two remarkable young women living in Gaza and the struggle of Gazans trying to maintain their humanity and humor while hoping to find some sense of normality in a world that is anything but normal.