Educational Media Reviews Online

Mark Turner chronicled his travels to the West Bank with a personal video camera to gain a first-hand perspective on how the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is affecting the Palestinian population. Turner and his cohorts from International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a non-violent, pro-Palestinian group, aid Palestinians harvesting olives, document the experiences of Palestinians moving through Israeli checkpoints, and show the Israeli military imposing a curfew on the city of Nablus. While filming the military’s enforcement of the curfew, Turner and another ISM activist were shot.

The opening scene of the film sets the tone for the entire piece. Turner is shown discussing with a room of school children in the United States the need to critically evaluate the information they receive from the news media and other sources. This is an important point to start the film as Turner’s message is unmistakably pro-Palestinian, a bias he admits to at the conclusion of the film. Throughout the film, Turner uses misleading and loaded language to describe his experience and that of the Palestinians living in the West Bank. He often speaks of the atrocities Israeli soldiers perpetrate on the Palestinian people. Unfortunately, Turner does not provide any visual evidence to support his claims. The footage Turner does provide of his interaction with Israeli troops shows the soldiers smiling and eager to talk with him to practice their English. When they show signs of hostility it is only after they are provoked by Turner’s cohorts from the ISM. Turner also offers anecdotal evidence describing the experience of Palestinians. One story describes a man who enters the city of Nablus by circumventing the Israeli checkpoints. Turner does not believe the man is entering the city illegally, instead he is just looking for work.

Unfortunately, this film becomes less about the struggles of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and more about Turner and members of the ISM. The picture quality is excellent considering it was shot with a basic video camera and English subtitles are provided. This film is not a necessary purchase for public or academic libraries and is recommended with reservations.