Last weekend I was given the opportunity to visit the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. My uncle made a documentary that was selected for the World Documentary portion of the festival. It was an amazing experience that I am so grateful for. 

It was a completely surreal experience to see my aunt and my cousins on the big screen! The film shows them in their home and in their village in Palestine. This is a place I have visited countless times, but it just seemed so different in a movie. 

The documentary is about the peaceful demonstrations by the people in their village, Bil’in. A wall is being built in the middle of the village for new Israeli settlements. The people of Bil’in choose to protest the building of the wall every Friday and my unlce Emad filmed the protests over the last 5 years. Below is the trailer for the film.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQampNYtcYk]

While I know what you are thinking… “Why are you showing us such a political trailer?” It is a political film and has many political implications, the documentary is more about the day to day lives of the people in the village. Friends and coworkers I have shown the trailer to often say, “I like that he is just showing us the wall and what happened. He isn’t necessarly choosing sides, just making people aware of what happened.” 

5 Broken Cameras went on to win the Sundance award for Best Directing in a World Documentary. Before the movie, Edward J. Olmos approached my uncle and told him that he really enjoyed the movie and loved what my uncle and his partner were doing. I love Dexter and was in complete shock to get the chance to meet Edward J. Olmos. I was also so excited that he was such a nice guy and actually loved the movie!