Gaza

"There are few places in the world that evoke such a strong visceral response as Gaza. It is somewhere that seems immediately familiar, known throughout the world from news flashes beamed onto our TV screens. Yet in truth we know almost nothing about this tiny strip of land on the shores of the Mediterranean." said the Directors, Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell. "From the very beginning we wanted to address the disparity between perception and reality. Having spent years working on the ground, we knew that Gaza was so much more than its portrayal in the media. This unique and vibrant land, rich in culture and history, is home to a people who are oppressed and dehumanized but who are also resilient and strong, and who want nothing more than to live normal lives. We thought about finding single stories, which in their telling would encapsulate the essence of what it is like to live in Gaza. But we decided that there are too many stories to tell and to take that approach would limit our ability to reflect the unique collective spirit of almost two million people, doing their best under the most extreme circumstances imaginable."

Understanding the historical context of a land surrounded by dead-ends and an open sea that confines the 75x7 mile (825 square kilometre) area to 2 million people is the only way to make sense of the hopelessness that is presented to us often dumbed down in the mainstream depictions of media. A generations have grown up or have been born into three civil wars in the last decade. It's the collateral damage of discord between Egypt and Israel who have left millions in limbo after sealing their borders. The economy is a shambles, medical supplies and basic living provisions intermittent due to restricted access and lockdowns between the borders. An entire civilization being raised on a foundation of violence and uncertainty, Palestinian and Israelis who fled earlier warms still living as refugees since the 1940s.

Gaza shows us the breeding grown for depression and anger an entire population is being reared in.

"Gaza" is an interesting fly-on-the-wall documentary. Most of the subjects are decent people wanting an ordinary and peaceful life. There are only a few offhand comments reflecting on the sad situation: "It's Hamas's fault", "I used to dream of growing up and killing Israeli soldiers". A Gazan physician - who struggles to help the wounded - simmers, "I hate every non-Palestinian who's breathing". But it's not a documentary showing deep reflections by Gazans on the causes of their predicament, and maybe that's the point. To the majority of Gazans and Israelis, they're not interested in the complexities of why the radicalism of the few on each side impact so many.

An wye opener to the reality of the everyday life of a palestinian in Gaza.

This is truly a stunning portrait of the side of Gaza we don't see... real people attempted to live normal lives. Beautifully shot and exceptionally moving.

Incredible insight to Gaza. Many different aspects as you get insight to many different lives inside of Gaza. I'm heart broken that it's only got worse since. The most heartbreaking thing is the restrictions and siege they have on their day to lives, from electricity to food to the ocean. I'm astounded that people can simply survive like that. The film was very well produced, music and cinematic aspects were beautiful for such a sad reality. The content provided a good base line of information and had me wanting to learn more in which I will be seeking out further information in forms of documentaries and books. My heart goes out to you Gaza and I thank the two filmmakers for bringing this piece to the world in such raw context. Free Palestine.