Five Broken Cameras

2012 War | Documentary
75%

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."

Our Review

by entertainment
Star Rating:

5 Broken Cameras

A touching and moving portrait, 5 Broken Cameras follows a Palestinian amateur cameraman who films the weekly demonstrations his village have against the illegal encroachment of Israeli settlers. Passionate filmmaking though it may be, sadly it is also a one-sided documentary: an attempt to speak to those with the opposing view would have enriched this film but instead it feels unfinished.

Read the full review