5 Caméras Brisées

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?!

Five Broken Cameras is one of those pleasant surprises that you encounter as a movie buff. A homegrown low budget documentary that has you wondering right from the start. The title in and of itself had me curious, and helped pull me in - is this guy some camera shop mechanic or what? Who entitles their documentary after broken cameras? Fortunately, that mystery is solved instantaneously when you find out the film maker's journey through a Palestinian's point of view about the erecting of Israeli wall. It's an eye opening experience to see the progression of the film maker, both in his journey to see the building of the wall either diminished or stopped and his experience as a film maker in capturing the whole experience of the Palestinian domestic way of life. As a North American we are often removed from the complexities of the mid east and most of us are too busy living our own lives to really get a taste of events there. We see it on CNN or read about events in the papers, but it is rare to see such a gem of a documentary that really provides a domestic, gritty look at daily existence on the west bank. If you are a documentary lover, you will enjoy this movie, even if you are not - and just curious about Palestinian life - it's worth a look. I hope you enjoy the documentary - I know I did.

Take care Seebs

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.

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.

Naturally this movie will be a minefield to review without people bringing their personal, national, or religious beliefs into the equation. As can be seen in the handful of incredibly low ratings here, this is sadly already occurring.

This is the conflict viewed through the eyes of a Palestinian villager, warts and all and as such does not shy away from recording the trials and tribulations that the cameraman and his village (and subsequently country) are confronted with on a daily basis. The argument that this movie is one sided is somewhat valid, although how anybody could expect anything else is beyond me due to the method utilized in gaining the footage. There is no secret agenda, no propaganda, it is simply the conflict as viewed by somebody who is currently living it.

Regardless of your beliefs, sympathies or country of origin this movie is worth your time for the rare insight, at ground level, that it provides. Whether you agree with either sides position in the conflict is a different debate entirely and should not be included in any kind of review. All I can say is if you are unfamiliar with what is occurring or unaware entirely this film will give you food for thought.