5 Broken Cameras (2012)

This movie is a true story about the hardships of Palestinians living in a city bordering Israel. The story depicts the atrocities of the Israeli military and citizens towards the Palestinians, and the courage, bravery and the dexterity of the Palestinian people who protest against the cages which Israel has created around them, treating them like animals.The story revolves one man, protecting his beautiful family consisting of his wife and small children, while pursuing his passion of videography.. as he goes through 5 different cameras, which not only become his shield but a window to the world that media tries to cover up.Eye opening.

Five Broken Cameras is one of those pleasant surprises that you encounter as a movie buff. A homegrown low budget documentary that has you wondering right from the start. The title in and of itself had me curious, and helped pull me in - is this guy some camera shop mechanic or what? Who entitles their documentary after broken cameras? Fortunately, that mystery is solved instantaneously when you find out the film maker's journey through a Palestinian's point of view about the erecting of Israeli wall. It's an eye opening experience to see the progression of the film maker, both in his journey to see the building of the wall either diminished or stopped and his experience as a film maker in capturing the whole experience of the Palestinian domestic way of life. As a North American we are often removed from the complexities of the mid east and most of us are too busy living our own lives to really get a taste of events there. We see it on CNN or read about events in the papers, but it is rare to see such a gem of a documentary that really provides a domestic, gritty look at daily existence on the west bank. If you are a documentary lover, you will enjoy this movie, even if you are not - and just curious about Palestinian life - it's worth a look. I hope you enjoy the documentary - I know I did.Take care Seebs

It is hard not to notice that the creator of this movie decided not to simply document the state of his life, but to create a propaganda film for the Palestinian side regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict. Sometimes, it brings with such an unreliable scenes. For example, there is a scene in which the creator make an accident with his tractor on the barrier. He did not say he did the accident because it was his fault in lack of attention, but says that happened "because of the wall". And where he was treated? in Israeli hospital. But .... instead to say something positive about it, he says, "if they were not treating me there, I would probably not survive." It totally ruined my movie watching. Gives a sense of lack of credibility.

While interesting it is a very flat movie that could have shown both sides fairly. It does not. Nazis will love this film. If I were very ignorant of the Middle East and Levant I would be shocked. Luckily I am not and see this as interesting propaganda. That and Israeli co-directed it is not shocking. The US has Jane Fonda and Michael Moore spouting falsehoods so why not Israel. Luckily, he is an Israeli, because Arab film makers who show things like 5 Broken Cameras get killed. It would have been better had the film shown what was happening in the area when all the cameras were broken. Once it was a puck Israeli, the rest were when fighting was going on. It is odd that one would go into a fire fight then complain that it was dangerous. Getting in between combatants is seldom a good idea. I wondered on the second screening if he had wanted to die, and be a good martyr.