Release Date (UK DVD) – 16th May 2011
Certificate (UK) – E
Country – USA
Runtime – 78 mins
Director – Julia Bacha
Starring – Ayed Morrar, Iltezam Morrar, Yasmine Levy, Ahmed Awwad, Kobi Snitz, Doron Spielman.
The people of Budrus are trying to live a normal existence in an occupied region of Palestine, near the Israeli border. Many of the families have lived there for generations and believe they have the right to continue to do so in peace and with freedom.
It is a village of farmers, whose livelihood depends on olive trees; trees that are being “confiscated”, uprooted, and destroyed by the Israeli government, who are building a separation barrier to keep Palestinians out of Israel. The men and women of Budrus have cared for these trees for generations and would rather die than see them destroyed. The scene is set for a tense conflict, as Israelis and Palestinians clash to protect their way of life.
Budrus is a documentary that follows the story of Ayed Morrar, the unlikely founder of a resistance movement attempting to halt the construction of the Israeli wall on Palestinian farmland. It is a charming portrayal of family life, community spirit, and justice in the face of segregation and violence. It is a document to the power of civil disobedience and an essay on the practical application of the “Gandhi Method” of passive resistance.
Ayed, our protagonist, is charismatic, intelligent and refreshingly profound. A great public speaker and hugely determined. His love for his family is evident throughout, and his compassion and patience is astonishing for someone who has suffered so much injustice.
His daughter Iltezam is as brave as her father and wise beyond her 15 years. She somehow manages to smile in even the darkest moments. Her unfaltering courage is life-affirming and uplifting. If this were a Hollywood dramatisation, her performance would be impossible to believe, since surely no-one could be so calm and at peace while standing between a moving digger and armed Israeli forces. It is stories like hers that make Budrus so powerful.
It is easy to forget that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is happening in the backyards of people who want no part of it. Sometimes the Media treats the word “Palestinian” as a synonym for terrorist, but this documentary sets out to challenge this stereotype and serve as a testament to the people who refuse violence even in the face of extreme prejudice. Budrus gives names and faces to the ordinary people and families of Palestine, and offers crucial insight into their ideology; motivation and humanity.
The documentary itself is raw and honest. The action is mostly captured on small handheld cameras, which throw the audience into the middle of struggle between the villagers of Budrus and the Israeli Border Police. Palestinians are cast as hereos here, and the Israeli border police as villains, but it is difficult to find any problem with this ideological stance.
Julia Bacha has done a wonderful job of directing and editing Budrus. There is no sugar-coated narration to dilute the difficult message or simplify the story; the audience is left to read and interpret for themselves and asked to identify with the people at the center of the conflict. The eye-witness footage of riots and protests is carefully cut with interviews from both sides of “the fence” and ensures the tension continues to build, but offers time to pause, take breath and reflect.
In spite of its gritty realism, Budrus never drags its heels. The handheld camerawork often swirls around the
maelstrom of tense clashes between armed police and peaceful protesters. But this is not sterile CGI action in a Hollywood studio, this is real-life, real suffering. The human cost is palpable at every moment and sometimes difficult to watch. It is hard not to be gripped by the incredible drama that unravels.
The extras on the DVD offer more insight into the ethos of this interesting production company, Just Vision, and the force of belief behind the project itself. The Q&A with the Brazilian director quickly becomes a philosophical discussion of non-violent principles and the “Gandhi Method”, and offers an interesting perspective on common news-narratives and journalistic principles. Bacha claims that her intention was to complicate the simplistic view of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict presented by the world press, but she doesn’t achieve this by confusing the political narrative. Instead, she challenges the audience to see it from another perspective; one that is “conspicuously absent” from the evening news. To this end, Bacha has been extremely successful.
Budrus is a moving and important story. It manages to capture the best and worst of human nature in a brief snapshot, and present a unique perspective to a long and convoluted political struggle. It is challenging; empowering; hopeful; and desperate. If you are in the mood for a good documentary, look no further.
Budrus is available on DVD on 16th May 2011 – pre order it here
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