65 min
Nahed Awwad
Documentary
2012 - Palestine, UAE, Switzerland
Inspired by the director’s own experiences, this powerful documentary captures the personal costs faced by Palestinian families torn apart by arbitrary Israeli barriers within their own country. Samer attends Birzeit University in Ramallah (West Bank) while his family resides in Gaza. Mustafa is stranded in Gaza as his mother and siblings desperately try to reunite with him in the West Bank. Only a one-hour drive apart, neither son has seen his family in person for more than 6 years. Under Israeli law they are considered “infiltrators” in their own country, their ID cards restrict them from moving between Gaza and the West Bank. As they try to navigate the convoluted bureaucracy of permits, lawyers and NGOs, these families must rely on phone calls and the internet to transcend borders and stay connected.
Dubai International Film Festival (2012): Nominated for Muhr Arab Award/ Best Film/ Documentary; Special Mention – Birds Eye View Film Festival in London (2013); Hot Docs International Documentary Festival (2013)
Co-presented by Amnesty International & Reel Awareness Film Festival
Screened with Nation Estate