Bil'in My Love, an Israeli film, to be screened at the Alliance Francaise today, talks of how a palestinian village fights military occupation by holding creative demonstrations
Bil'in My Love, an Israeli film, to be screened at the Alliance Francaise today, talks of how a palestinian village fights military occupation by holding creative demonstrations
"I believe India is very far from Israel, but I see a lot of similarities between issues faced by the two countries," says Israeli filmmaker Shai Carmeli Pollak over the phone from Tel Aviv. His film, Bil'in My Love, will be screened at the Alliance Francaise this evening.
"I have seen films by Anand Patwardhan (Indian documentary filmmaker), most of them addressing issues faced by the lower castes and religious minorities.
So, when it comes to human rights, I see myself as being part of that struggle," he says.
The 85-minute documentary is about a small Palestinian village that attempts to resist the Israeli Army without resorting to violence.
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A still from the documentary Bil'in My Love |
Under the pretext of security, the village is about to lose more than half its land to the Israeli separation fence and to a neighbouring Israeli settlement.
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In an attempt to stop the bulldozers, tear gas, arrests and ammunition, the villagers confront the army by hosting creative, weekly demonstrations.
"Some weeks, villagers would cage themselves or tie themselves to trees. On other days, they'd use art and build giant models of a settlement, acting as a hook that drew locals and the media," recalls Shai.
Interestingly, Shai initially went to Bil'in as an activist to fight the occupation, not as a filmmaker. "I did not even have a camera when I landed there.
It was only later that I realised how important it was to document what was going on.
The local media has their own agenda; a mix of mainstream concerns and right-wing ideas," says Shai, who spent more than a year there.
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Activist and director Shai Carmeli Pollak lived in the Palestinian village of Bil'in for an entire year during which he filmed Bil'in My Love |
Sophie Parisse, coordinator and curator of Cinu00e9 Libertu00e9 says the idea behind the venture is to initiate discussion around the issue of human rights.
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"In any case of oppression, when there is the possibility of a positive solution, there is a benefit. Violence can be countered in creative ways. The important thing is to work towards establishing a rapport," says Sophie.
Bil'in My Love is about establishing that rapport and standing united in the face of adversity. "People do not understand the power they have because they are not taught to use their power," states Sophie.
The screening of the film will be followed by a discussion headed by activist Kishore Jagtap and moderated by Feroze Mithiborwala, an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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At: Alliance Francaise de Bombay, 40, Theosophy Hall, Marine Lines at 6.30 pm.
Call: 22035993
