Five broken cameras – and each one has a powerful tale to tell. Embedded in the bullet-ridden remains of digital technology is the story of Emad Burnat, a farmer from the Palestinian village of Bil’in, which famously chose nonviolent resistance when the Israeli army encroached upon its land to make room for Jewish colonists. Emad buys his first camera in 2005 to document the birth of his fourth son, Gibreel. Over the course of the film, he becomes the peaceful archivist of an escalating struggle as olive trees are bulldozed, lives are lost, and a wall is built to segregate burgeoning Israeli settlements.
The film is built from Emad Burnat's own footage, shot up close and often in the middle of events. His narration and the family's everyday life keep the political story tied to the personal, without feeling distant or explanatory. It is told calmly, yet repeatedly broken up by immediate danger.
Good for you if you like documentaries told from the point of view of someone directly affected, making political conflicts tangible through personal experience.
Written with AI, based on TMDb data.