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Aired: 02/10/13
The Academy Awards will be given out in two weeks and we are lucky to have the co-directors of one of the nominated films with us today. 5 BROKEN CAMERAS, one of five nominees for best documentary, tells the story of a Palestinian farmer who lives with his wife and four small children in the village of Bil’in, in the central West Bank.
EMAD BURNAT got his first camera in 2005, when his youngest son, Gibreel, was born. Almost simultaneously, the Israeli army began building a separation wall between Bil’in and a nearby Israeli settlement, separating residents from the olive tree groves that are their livelihood. Burnat turned his camera on his fellow villagers as they responded with nonviolent protests, including marches to the wall every Friday. I am joined in the studio today by Burnat and his Israeli co-director, GUY DAVIDI.
Structured in chapters around the destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, we witness Gibreel grow from a newborn baby into a young boy, as from behind the lens Burnat watches as olive trees are bulldozed and protests intensify in this cinematic diary of life in the West Bank.
Upon hearing of the Oscar nomination for their film, EMAD BURNAT stated, “The truth is powerful, it can heal. I hope this film can help heal misunderstanding about us. A filmmaker’s dream is winning an Oscars® however my dream is freedom for Palestine, we all have lots of work to do.”
And the words of Co-director GUY DAVIDI, “I am hopeful this will be a milestone on the road to ending the occupation and securing a brighter and more just future for Palestinians and Israelis.”
