LSU School
5 Broken Cameras
One Camera after another is shot at or smashed, each camera
tells a part of the story.
Storyline
An extraordinary work of both cinematic and political activism, 5 Broken
Cameras is a deeply personal, first-hand account of non-violent
resistance in Bil'in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching
Israeli settlements. Shot almost entirely by Palestinian farmer Emad
Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his
youngest son, the footage was later given to Israeli co-director Guy
Davidi to edit. Structured around the violent destruction of each one of
Burnat's
cameras, the filmmakers'
collaboration follows one family's evolution over five years of village
turmoil. Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are
bulldozed, protests intensify, and lives are lost. "I feel like the
camera protects me," he says, "but it's an illusion."In his village, Bil'in, a separation barrier is being built and the villagers start to resist this decision. For more than five years, Emad films the struggle, which is lead by two of his best friends, alongside filming how Gibreel grows. Very soon it affects his family and his own life. Daily arrests and night raids scare his family; his friends, brothers and him as well are either shot or arrested.
You can watch the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZnZnP5TgJU
Tamara Halasi
