This Canadian documentary is based on a book of the same name by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. Dr. Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor born of parents bulldozed off their land in Palestine by Israeli forces during the 1948 Arab War. An estimated 500,000-750,000 Palestinians fled to refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Dr. Abuelaish realized an education was necessary to lift himself and his extended family out of poverty so he studied becoming a doctor first working in Saudi Arabia and returning to Gaza to offer pro bono medical OBGYN services to Gaza refugee camp residents. He was the first Palestinian doctor to work in an Israeli hospital.
The documentary gives us a brief history of Palestine. Hamas won the 2006 Gaza elections with 74/132 seats in the Palestinian legislative assembly. Hamas originally started as a welfare organization with the sole goal of providing social services to the residents of Gaza but gradually muscled out its opponents assuming dictatorial military rule.
In yet another Israeli miliary action in Gaza on July 14,2009 a tank waited outside Abuelaish’s 5 story family house with its gun aiming directly at the house. Abuelaish managed to contact Israeli friends who were successful in recalling the tank but two days later his unit was shelled by an Israeli tank killing three of is daughters. His horrific anguished calls were broadcast over Israeli television said to have such an impact the Israeli Prime Minister ordered a ceasefire. Not surprisingly an Israeli army investigation and the Israeli Supreme Court found no fault.
Instead of venting anger and bitterness while still at the hospital with injured family members he called for peaceful co-existence. Hatred is not by nature but by nurture Abuelaish states. In Gaza it is triggered by colonialism, occupation, poverty, violence, racism, discrimination and exploitation.
Within a year of suffering his personal tragedy he moved to Toronto with his five children and established Daughters for Life funding scholarships, fellowships and awards for young Middle Eastern women. He also raises funds for injured Palestinian children to receive medical treatment in Canada.
One must ask a question posed by humanity many times. What does it take for personalization to become universalism?
How would one describe the film? Fruitless? Naïve? Courageous? Depressing? Uplifting? Inevitable? Perhaps all the above.
Directed by Tal Barda. It is having its third week of screening in French theatres.
RKS CANADIAN Documentary Rating 86/100.
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