Arna's Children

Raw, candid, uncompromising, and undeniably beautiful, the painfully intimate 'Arna's Children' is one of the more visceral, soul-wrenching documentaries I have had the pleasure to see in quite some time. One cannot fail to be enormously moved by the indomitable spirit, kindness, and boundless courage of this truly extraordinary woman's profound love for these beleaguered Palestinian children. Absolutely ESSENTIAL viewing, with indelible imagery, and crystalline moments of exquisite joy, this bare-bones DVD/DVD-R is an insult for such a profound work of non-fiction cinema. There is no doubt in my mind that 'Arna's Children' is imbued with the rare galvanizing intensity to rouse the more heartful individual to action. While blunt, cruel, occasionally brutal, and frequently shocking, this stark, unabashedly humanist document not only grimly captures the unconscionable savagery of an unthinking horde, but upliftingly reveals how the selfless actions of just one exceptional individual can resist the ugliness of a multitude. On a more personal level, the fact that the director, Juliano, was Arna's son made his earnest film that much more poignant. Go. Watch. Now!!!!

I saw this movie over 2 years ago, and it still sticks in my memory as one of the best, most shocking, most eye-opening movies I've ever experienced. A movie that makes you smile, and even laugh for a moment, and makes you choke with tears the next,a mesmerizing movie that shows how, even some Israelis, who choose to see the reality as it should be seen, turn against their government for its brutal and discriminating acts against the Palestinians.

But, the more important point I could see is that how the atrocities of the occupation turn the Palestinian people from ordinary citizens into militants. Normal people who, after facing the unimaginable from the occupation forces, decided that the best thing they could do was joining the armed conflict against the occupation. I know many people would argue about how Palestinians are terrorists and some such crap, but the point is: Who started it all? Before you judge someone for carrying out a bombing, you have to first put yourself in his shoes, and picture yourself carrying a 10 year-old bleeding, lifeless girl.

One of the things that stuck in my head is something Arna said at the beginning: There's no peace without freedom. No peace without freedom.

I was fortunate enough to catch this powerful documentary at the 2004 Hotdocs festival in TO. The film was shot over a period of ten years from 1992 to 2002, and follows a group of Palestinian children as they grow up and turn to violence to guard their refugee camp.

Go see this movie if given the chance. It provides a rare and refreshingly caring glimpse into the personal lives of people usually portrayed as terrorists and monsters. The movie works especially well because the director has a personal relationship with the kids-turned-fighters in the film.

This is not self-indulgent "stick it to the man" left wing propaganda; it's one of the most human films you'll ever see regardless of your political views.

Peace.

The movie was made by Juliano Mer, Arna Mer's son. Arna Mer, a Jewish woman who fought in the 1948 war dedicated her life to helping Palestinian refugees after the 1967 war. Among her feats was establishing a children's theater in the West Bank city of Jenin during the 80s. Using old footage, Juliano Mer returns to the refugee camp after his mother's death and after a devastating Israel Defense Forces operation, to check up on the kids who attended the drama group - Arna's Children, who have grown up under Israeli occupation. Some joined militant groups, went on suicide missions or were killed while defending their home. Though highly political, the film does not take sides and is not dogmatic, just humane and real.

"Arna's Children" is indeed a very powerful movie. The message transcends ethnicity, religion, and class. Arna proved the futility in stereotyping. She showed love and compassion to Palestinian children, not as a Jew, but as a caring and compassionate human being.

Arna and Juliano showed the Palestinian children that if no one else cared, they did. They created the theatre as a positive outlet for creativity and expression. They let the children know that they mattered. Above all, they proved that someone loved them enough to want them to experience the joy and laughter of childhood in the midst of such utter chaos.

To see this movie as glorifying Palestinian militants is to be naive and miss the whole point. What the movie does do is show the ugly and chaotic side of living in an oppressive police state through the eyes of children.

The film brings home the detrimental aspects of how one often reaps what they sow when using violence and oppressive force to solve problems. It reminds us of how today's feeble and fearful child too often goes on to become tomorrow's angry and militant young man.