“How can you arrest a child?” An old woman, probably a human rights activist from the West, asks Israeli soldiers as they arrest a Palestinian boy in the middle of the night. This for me was the most powerful and heart-wrenching part of the film Five Broken Cameras.
The film is a collection of videos from five different broken cameras used by Emad Burnat. It tells the story of Bil’in, a Palestinian Village in the West Bank, and their non-violent protests and struggle to oppose the building of the wall and illegal settlement in their land, killing their source of livelihood and their olive trees. This is real life which makes it more powerful, and to be honest – depressing. To say that I (and a superfriend who I told about the film as well) cried is an understatement. And I don’t know what to do with how I’m feeling after watching the film. So I thought of writing about it and sharing it. To tell people about this powerful film.
I’m not going to pretend here that I know a lot of things about this whole situation. I don’t know if it’s about religion, or who really has a claim of rights over the land (although at the end of the film, a portion of the barricade has been removed/moved), or it may be one-sided (I don’t think it is. Israeli activists were present in the film.) But this film had such an effect on me that I find myself reading more about it. If this is one of the goals of the film, then I say it’s successful.
I know there are other violent/terror acts done to further the Palestinian cause, but this village have been holding non-violent protests for years.
But to see children being arrested at night, in an attempt to suppress the adults from fighting for the preservation of their land and livelihood, is a desperate inhumane act. To see these men constantly fighting their cause by calling out to the goodness of the soldiers. To only have this, their resilience, their hope, and rocks – against the tear gas and guns of the army is more than worth admiring. And in these times of war and violence, it seems not possible. But it is.
I'm not writing this to take sides, I have both Jewish and Muslim friends. But I am hoping that the strategies of the Israeli army, or its leaders be reconsidered, especially for the children.
To hope that the two nations find a common ground, to forget the past, and try to live peacefully in one land may seem far-fetched. But what else can a person do.
I hope for the children, not just Palestinians but children all over the world. I pray that the children of the future grow up in an entirely different situation. No more children growing up having to see soldiers with guns almost every single day. No more children being woken up at night and being arrested. No more children having to see their fathers and uncles arrested. No more children losing their childhood at such a young age. Children should not start their life dealing with anger and fighting the urge to avenge the ones they’ve lost. This is not how it should be.
Posted on : April 18, 2013
Posted on : April 18, 2013
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NEW BLOG!
NEW BLOG!
Hey everyone! I'm moving to a new blog address : www.angelicacruzph.com
Same content but with some changes in design and layout. I'll still be keeping this one but will begin posting new stuff in the new blog. See you there!
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Email : anggetravels.blog@gmail.com
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