5 Caméras Brisées

A personal and intimate portrait of the progressing encroaching of Palestinian land by the Israeli state and their Zionist cavaliers, is filmed over a period of several years. Starting in 2005, camera after camera, "5 Broken Cameras" is frank in its portraying of the startling injustice that has beholden an entire populace.

A clear indictment of Israel as a country as well as the crazy people who claim right to the land based on biblical scripture, the olive farmer Emad Burnat films his side of the story. Naturally one can claim bias, but truly the ongoings captured on tape by the cameraman cannot be exonerated or justified, nor do any of the films detractors manage to concoct any compelling counterarguments instead of the non-sensical 'Cry Wolf' tactic. Night raids on a village in order to arrest random children? Claiming land by appropriation? Burning down orchards of peaceful farmers? Shooting at children throwing stones? Army allowing settlers to attack unarmed peaceful protesters? Banning people from building structures on their own land? Widerspread harassment techniques to stop people from protesting? Throwing people out of their own house at night because its now a "Closed Military Zone"? Shooting a captured and restrained man at point blank range in the leg? Total disregard to their own court rulings? A sniper shooting a 11 year old boy in the head? And the best Israeli apologists can come up with is... but but but... they threw rocks.

A firm believer that somewhere along the road only a one-state non-religious democratic solution can avert a brutal war. The Zionists must accept that their inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people will have to end in bloodshed - be it theirs or the genocide of the Palestinian people. Only peaceful reconciliation inspired by the greats like Nelson Mandela can counter this inevitable tragedy. Unfortunately "5 Broken Cameras" leaves little space for hope...

"5 Broken Cameras" has left me mad and riled at the international community in general, which allows an apartheid state committing daily acts of ethnic cleansing through the use of force, appropriation of land and unjust racial policies to be a member of the international community. Despite governing a state that makes South Africa's apartheid look weak and crippled, Israel has yet to have any sanctions hit against it. Even worse - USA persists in funding the same army that is brutally encroaching human rights on a daily basis.

In much of American culture, there is an invisible cultural pressure to be part of trends. These examples can be seen by the long lines whenever any new Apple product is released, by the people who run out to buy the latest designer clothing that is solely offered by Target, and by the what is means to be seen with Apple's white ear buds. Although there is a place and value for being part of the mainstream culture, each person carries with them a unique perspective into this world. And in the noise of all the marketing campaigns that try to target the greater population to adopt the next best product or service, it is becoming more difficult to be influenced by perspectives that are not mainstream but at the same time important in helping people see what it means to be human, in its challenges and struggles of life. Emad Burnat possesses a passion in capturing his Palestinian community in battling to retain their village land. His documentary 5 Broken Cameras brings about a view of his life that is rarely ever made conscious in the mainstream lives of the western world. One that gives us a glimpse of what it means to be part of the modern history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although many people have heard about the long withstanding history of Israeli-Palistenian conflict over the West Bank, the documentary brings about a quality of humanity to the conflict through a first person perspective of using non-violence protest strategies to prevent Israeli developer's from building onto the land of their village of Bil'in. Through six years worth of film, Emad is able to show a personable and affective-filled battle of many people in his village that risk their lives in protecting the land of their people. An important aspect that may often be lost to viewers of documentaries is that many of them are acting as a voice to those who have no voice. People of the western world are well-educated compared to the rest of the world and it is important that people learn to use their education and power to improve the lives of others. I have to admit that it is difficult in a world that constantly promotes the improvement of the individual and need to achieve individual success. There is an important significance that documentaries bring to the world. They pave a way for helping those with no voice gain attention and obtain a voice that is necessary. Emad has used his five broken cameras to give a voice to the village people of Bil'in and is helping people understand that not everyone in this world has stability even in the basic needs of food and shelter. Being able to see even this one perspective, is likely to help people realize that there are more important issues at hand in the world other than obtaining the latest gadget or wearing the latest fashion trend. It is therefore critical that people understand the power they possess living in the western world and how they can use it to give a voice to those who need help and do not have a voice.

Emad Burnat's documentary about the on-the-ground reality for the people inside the West Bank is a very disturbing portrait of life under military occupation. In fact, when Burnat got detained at the LA airport on his way to the Academy Awards, he noted that it is what the Palestinians go through on a daily basis. Indeed, the settlers and army do some absolutely evil things, such as burning an olive tree.

"5 Broken Cameras" (whose title refers to the different cameras that Burnat had to use after the army kept breaking them) is a documentary that everyone should see. It's a real look at what life is like for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation, a complete contrast to the nonstop depictions of Palestinians as terrorists.

this documentary was a true and honest eyes to what really happening in the occupied territories by the Zions in Palestine, the events show how the people of the small village Bil'in suffered by the army of the Zions that burned and killed and brook the laws, not humans laws, not world's laws, but them own laws. it has a very real touching scenes witch can make a one shed the tears without he knows, when I watched those scenes and slices from lives of real people I seen those Zions as really they are, not what their press and media whas trying to show us every day in every movie we see. this documentary make me live with El-Phil and Emad and Adeeb and Dabaa for ninety minutes and I wished to live with them some more.

I've some many documentaries and movies,an Oscar winning ones. they can't be as good, honest, realistic and lively as this.

I'm really wondering and questioning why this can't win an Oscar?!

It is rare to have something like this penetrate through the generally Zionist controlled media in the West. I am sure Zionists will try to label this film as "biased" and "one-sided," as usual in their intended distortion or paranoia. They might even start a campaign to lower its rating, as they normally do! But the facts and the images speak for themselves. Why is the world allowing the Israelis to get away with more land grabs and more injustice? The only reservation is that it does not explore fully the tragedy of what has been done to the Palestinians by Zionist colonization. This is not a special case. It is also similar to what happened in 1948 when almost 80% of Palestine was taken over, and the population in many cities and villages expelled and made into refugees. Hundreds of villages were ethnically cleansed, and several of them today have Israeli Jews living in the old houses owned by Palestinians (not having paid for them of course). It is almost like highway robbery. One film cannot do everything of course, but maybe it will encourages some people to dig more for the truth.