Monday, July 21, 2003
Jeremy Hardy Versus The Israeli Army is not a great film. It's a good film but not a great one. Jeremy's narration is at times flat, nasal, and sounds like it was recorded in a shoebox. However, this is a film that should be seen by a lot of people. Preferably on the BBC or at least Channel 4, it's disappointing that it hasn't been taken up for national broadcasting.
The film follows Jeremy's two visits to Palestine and the West Bank to join the International Solidarity Movement in 2002 as they try to stop Israeli incursions into Palestinian territory and their illegal blockades of Palestinian villages. Wryly desribing himself as a comedian 'or writer and broadcaster if I want to sound grown up' at first Jeremy seems clearly out of his depth and wondering exactly why he has agreed to director Leila Sansour's request to come out and see what is going on. He tours Bethlehem, first with a ISM march to Manger Square, then with the mayor of Bethlehem, seeing the damage previous attacks have inflicted, including the Bethlehem Hospital. But he's not that impressed with what he sees of the ISM as they train in non-violent conflict resolution, thinking them to be people who 'want to be heroes'.
But on April 1st they march to break a curfew imposed by the Israeli Army who invaded the town the previous night. As they approach the Israeli tank one of the occupants starts firing real bullets at the ground in front of them, which ricochet up and injure some of the protesters. People in the UK will have seen this on the news at the time as the Israeli Army weren't squemish about trying to drive away anyone that could report on what they were doing. In the aftermath Jeremy's opinions of the ISM change and, although he is evacuated the next day, returns in the summer.
A couple of people complained after the film that it makes no attempt to show the Israeli side of the situation. If I understood her correctly Leila believes this is a red herring, She is a Palestinian from the area that is being attacked, so she's naturally going to want to make a film about that. She feels that if Israelis consider this unfair, they should make their own film. Cetainly her film concentrates only on the ISM and it's peaceful protesting, we don't see anything of Hamas and Yasser Arafat is on-screen for ten seconds when some demonstrators manage to break into his besieged offices.
The film is a bit disjointed as we have Jeremy's first brief visit to the area, then his media appearences after returning where he and other returned demonstrators talk about being shot at, then after some reportage about what ISM do while he's not there, such as getting some supplies and medical attention into the Church of the nativity where some Hamas gunment are holed up, before Jeremy and the others return in the summer. ISM has transfered it's operations to Jerusalem. Jeremy is only there for four days and decides to help with an attempt to break an illegal blockade of a Palestinian village, I didn't get the name but phonetically pronounced Sal-feet. After being stopped by the police and army they are let through, where they deliver their supplies and hold a peace rally.
The film, Jeremy and Leila get a round of applause. There's a short Q&A but apart from what I've already mentioned there's not much worth mentioning. Jeremy says that at the border in Israael you have to lie to get into Palestine, signing a disclaimer that you aren't going to be a protester.
This isn't a recruitment film for the ISM and while it's unavoidably a little anti-Israeli it's not anti-Semitic, Leila said afterwards she wants a peaceful solution between both sides.
All in all, though not a great film it was one that was worth watching, when the news is filled with stories of atrocities on both sides it's heartening to see some people working FOR peace, in a peaceful manner. Jeremy meets an Israeli and a Palestinian in the ISM who have married and are working together for peace. Check the website and your local listings and if you get the chance you really should see this film. It's a shame that TV stations don't agree. It's currently on at the Prince Charles Cinema for one final day, catch it there!
The film follows Jeremy's two visits to Palestine and the West Bank to join the International Solidarity Movement in 2002 as they try to stop Israeli incursions into Palestinian territory and their illegal blockades of Palestinian villages. Wryly desribing himself as a comedian 'or writer and broadcaster if I want to sound grown up' at first Jeremy seems clearly out of his depth and wondering exactly why he has agreed to director Leila Sansour's request to come out and see what is going on. He tours Bethlehem, first with a ISM march to Manger Square, then with the mayor of Bethlehem, seeing the damage previous attacks have inflicted, including the Bethlehem Hospital. But he's not that impressed with what he sees of the ISM as they train in non-violent conflict resolution, thinking them to be people who 'want to be heroes'.
But on April 1st they march to break a curfew imposed by the Israeli Army who invaded the town the previous night. As they approach the Israeli tank one of the occupants starts firing real bullets at the ground in front of them, which ricochet up and injure some of the protesters. People in the UK will have seen this on the news at the time as the Israeli Army weren't squemish about trying to drive away anyone that could report on what they were doing. In the aftermath Jeremy's opinions of the ISM change and, although he is evacuated the next day, returns in the summer.
A couple of people complained after the film that it makes no attempt to show the Israeli side of the situation. If I understood her correctly Leila believes this is a red herring, She is a Palestinian from the area that is being attacked, so she's naturally going to want to make a film about that. She feels that if Israelis consider this unfair, they should make their own film. Cetainly her film concentrates only on the ISM and it's peaceful protesting, we don't see anything of Hamas and Yasser Arafat is on-screen for ten seconds when some demonstrators manage to break into his besieged offices.
The film is a bit disjointed as we have Jeremy's first brief visit to the area, then his media appearences after returning where he and other returned demonstrators talk about being shot at, then after some reportage about what ISM do while he's not there, such as getting some supplies and medical attention into the Church of the nativity where some Hamas gunment are holed up, before Jeremy and the others return in the summer. ISM has transfered it's operations to Jerusalem. Jeremy is only there for four days and decides to help with an attempt to break an illegal blockade of a Palestinian village, I didn't get the name but phonetically pronounced Sal-feet. After being stopped by the police and army they are let through, where they deliver their supplies and hold a peace rally.
The film, Jeremy and Leila get a round of applause. There's a short Q&A but apart from what I've already mentioned there's not much worth mentioning. Jeremy says that at the border in Israael you have to lie to get into Palestine, signing a disclaimer that you aren't going to be a protester.
This isn't a recruitment film for the ISM and while it's unavoidably a little anti-Israeli it's not anti-Semitic, Leila said afterwards she wants a peaceful solution between both sides.
All in all, though not a great film it was one that was worth watching, when the news is filled with stories of atrocities on both sides it's heartening to see some people working FOR peace, in a peaceful manner. Jeremy meets an Israeli and a Palestinian in the ISM who have married and are working together for peace. Check the website and your local listings and if you get the chance you really should see this film. It's a shame that TV stations don't agree. It's currently on at the Prince Charles Cinema for one final day, catch it there!
