MY NEIGHBOURHOOD (SHORT FILM)
Summary
A short documentary film about a nonviolent protest movement in eastern Jerusalem. Mohammed el Kurd, a Palestinian 7th-grader, lives in Sheikh Jarrah with his father and grandmother. The family moved there after the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and received their house from a United Nations housing project. Israeli Jews have been constructing homes and claiming settlements in East Jerusalem for several years in spite of international laws. Some are being court-ordered to evacuate their homes. Mohammed's neighbors were evicted on August 2nd, 2009; Israeli police forced themselves into the home and violently dragged the residents out to make way for Israeli settlers. Mohammed is deeply affected by this turn of events. The locals start up a series of protests against the settlers. Spokespeople for the settlers cite religious reasons for their eviction of Palestinians. On November 3rd, 2009, Israeli settlers force their way into the el Kurd household. Mohammed's grandmother Rifka tries to fight back but ends up in the hospital. The el Kurds are forced to give up half of their home. Mohammed learns of this and is enraged, developing an intense hatred for the settlers. Meanwhile, in West Jerusalem, a young man named Zvi Benninga and his sister Sara hear of the events in Sheikh Jarrah and feel compelled to speak out against the Israeli occupation. They hold marches to raise awareness of the issue. They start with only a few dozen supporters but their numbers quickly grow. Mohammed witnesses one of their marches and is surprised that Jews have decided to protest the settlements. The el Kurd family joins in the protests and Mohammed begins to realize that different viewpoints can exist within the same society. He and Zvi bond over their shared goals. Zvi notes that he is not protesting the settlers themselves, but rather the state which supports the "violent and crazy" people of society. As Zvi and Sara continue holding protests, Zvi becomes acutely aware of what he believes is institutionalized discrimination by the Israelis in Sheikh Jarrah. Despite their apolitical bent, Zvi's parents Terry and Simon start getting involved in the protests, motivated by their children. Israeli police arrive at one protest and refuse to let the protesters into Sheikh Jarrah. Many, including Zvi and Sara, are arrested; others are seized, struck, and pepper-sprayed by the police. Soon the movement has thousands of supporters, Arab and Jew alike. Mohammed sees this as proof that both peoples can work together, and that "there is still good in the world." Two years later, Zvi notes that the situation in Sheikh Jarrah has improved somewhat. Extensive media coverage of the protests stemmed the tide of the settlers. However, the settlers are still there and Zvi is disturbed by plans to seize more houses. Zvi realizes that his experiences have made him both more connected to Sheikh Jarrah and to his own home. Mohammed is frustrated at how little has changed in his neighborhood and calls for Jerusalem to "wake up from its deep sleep." His family still struggles to get their house back, although they are uncertain if they will be successful. Mohammed says he wants to be a lawyer specializing in human rights when he grows up, hoping he can use his position to help his family and people like them.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 2011
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:33
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 107636
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ronit Avni … Executive Producer
- Rebekah Wingert-Jabi … Producer, Director, Writer
- Julia Bacha … Producer, Director
- Jessica Devaney … Co-Producer
- Irene Nasser … Co-Producer
- Rula Salameh … Co-Producer
- Vicky Wingert … Co-Producer
- Jesus Campos-Hernandez … Associate Producer
- Joseph Dana … Associate Producer
- Nadav Greenburg … Associate Producer
- Kareem Rouston … Music by
- Mohammed el Kurd … Cast
- Rifka el Kurd … Cast
- Yonatan Yosef … Cast
- Maher Hanoun … Cast
- Sherihan Hanoun … Cast
- Zvi Benninga … Cast
- Sara Benninga … Cast
- Yair Gabai … Cast
- Terry Benninga … Cast
- Simon Benninga … Cast
- Ofra Ben-Azri … Cast