Non-violent solutions
in Palestine/Israel
Friday Film Pick: Budrus
One of the best political films of 2010 has recently been released on DVD. If you didn’t catch Budrus in select indy theatres, at activist events or at the many film festivals it won awards at, now’s your chance to see this gem of a documentary.
The feature length doc, directed by Julia Bacha, compiles 250 hours of activist footage and Bacha’s interviews set in the Palestinian town of Budrus (population 1500), between 2003 and 2007 when local residents mounted a non-violent movement to resist the scarring of their land by the Israeli government’s planned security fence construction. Aside from the fence dividing the town’s cemetery the contentious issues was the destruction and appropriation of hundreds of acres of Palestinian land where one of the only sources of income grow – olive trees. The film expertly paces out the story, starting slowly and creating a real feel for the day-to-day life in Budrus, as well as the budding political plans that come to maturity there. This doc tells the incredible story that sparked a movement throughout Palestine, and injects life into the notion of solidarity and the possibility for peace in the Middle East – that is, if it’s left up to the people and not their governments.
Just Vision is selling DVDs of the film for $25. Get yours today.