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5 Broken Cameras (2011) is a Palestinian documentary film directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi. The movie is narrated by Emad Burnat, who films life and strife in his village in the occupied West Bank.

Living in an occupied territory will always be frustrating and, at times, humiliating. However, the major issue that the film follows is the building of huge Israeli "settlements" in the occupied territory. (The "settlements" look like large, fortress-like, apartment complexes.)

Although we have all seen footage of Palestinians throwing rocks, and Israeli soldiers responding with teargas and rubber bullets, Burnat films less dramatic instances of nonviolent resistance by Palestinian villagers. As a participant-observer, Burnat is himself vulnerable. He was seriously injured in one skirmish. The title "Five Broken Cameras" refers to Burnat's own cameras, which were smashed during confrontations with Israeli soldiers. (Some of the cameras were purposely destroyed, while others were hit by rubber bullets.)

Whatever your position is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it's useful to see a film that presents the Palestinian perspective. We saw this movie at Rochester's Little Theatre as part of the excellent Witness Palestine Film Series. It will work better on a large screen, but it's worth seeing on DVD if that's the only option available. Five Broken Cameras was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 as Best Foreign Film.

Naturally this movie will be a minefield to review without people bringing their personal, national, or religious beliefs into the equation. As can be seen in the handful of incredibly low ratings here, this is sadly already occurring.

This is the conflict viewed through the eyes of a Palestinian villager, warts and all and as such does not shy away from recording the trials and tribulations that the cameraman and his village (and subsequently country) are confronted with on a daily basis. The argument that this movie is one sided is somewhat valid, although how anybody could expect anything else is beyond me due to the method utilized in gaining the footage. There is no secret agenda, no propaganda, it is simply the conflict as viewed by somebody who is currently living it.

Regardless of your beliefs, sympathies or country of origin this movie is worth your time for the rare insight, at ground level, that it provides. Whether you agree with either sides position in the conflict is a different debate entirely and should not be included in any kind of review. All I can say is if you are unfamiliar with what is occurring or unaware entirely this film will give you food for thought.

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

Emad Burnat's documentary about the on-the-ground reality for the people inside the West Bank is a very disturbing portrait of life under military occupation. In fact, when Burnat got detained at the LA airport on his way to the Academy Awards, he noted that it is what the Palestinians go through on a daily basis. Indeed, the settlers and army do some absolutely evil things, such as burning an olive tree.

"5 Broken Cameras" (whose title refers to the different cameras that Burnat had to use after the army kept breaking them) is a documentary that everyone should see. It's a real look at what life is like for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation, a complete contrast to the nonstop depictions of Palestinians as terrorists.

A personal and intimate portrait of the progressing encroaching of Palestinian land by the Israeli state and their Zionist cavaliers, is filmed over a period of several years. Starting in 2005, camera after camera, "5 Broken Cameras" is frank in its portraying of the startling injustice that has beholden an entire populace.

A clear indictment of Israel as a country as well as the crazy people who claim right to the land based on biblical scripture, the olive farmer Emad Burnat films his side of the story. Naturally one can claim bias, but truly the ongoings captured on tape by the cameraman cannot be exonerated or justified, nor do any of the films detractors manage to concoct any compelling counterarguments instead of the non-sensical 'Cry Wolf' tactic. Night raids on a village in order to arrest random children? Claiming land by appropriation? Burning down orchards of peaceful farmers? Shooting at children throwing stones? Army allowing settlers to attack unarmed peaceful protesters? Banning people from building structures on their own land? Widerspread harassment techniques to stop people from protesting? Throwing people out of their own house at night because its now a "Closed Military Zone"? Shooting a captured and restrained man at point blank range in the leg? Total disregard to their own court rulings? A sniper shooting a 11 year old boy in the head? And the best Israeli apologists can come up with is... but but but... they threw rocks.

A firm believer that somewhere along the road only a one-state non-religious democratic solution can avert a brutal war. The Zionists must accept that their inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people will have to end in bloodshed - be it theirs or the genocide of the Palestinian people. Only peaceful reconciliation inspired by the greats like Nelson Mandela can counter this inevitable tragedy. Unfortunately "5 Broken Cameras" leaves little space for hope...

"5 Broken Cameras" has left me mad and riled at the international community in general, which allows an apartheid state committing daily acts of ethnic cleansing through the use of force, appropriation of land and unjust racial policies to be a member of the international community. Despite governing a state that makes South Africa's apartheid look weak and crippled, Israel has yet to have any sanctions hit against it. Even worse - USA persists in funding the same army that is brutally encroaching human rights on a daily basis.

It is rare to have something like this penetrate through the generally Zionist controlled media in the West. I am sure Zionists will try to label this film as "biased" and "one-sided," as usual in their intended distortion or paranoia. They might even start a campaign to lower its rating, as they normally do! But the facts and the images speak for themselves. Why is the world allowing the Israelis to get away with more land grabs and more injustice? The only reservation is that it does not explore fully the tragedy of what has been done to the Palestinians by Zionist colonization. This is not a special case. It is also similar to what happened in 1948 when almost 80% of Palestine was taken over, and the population in many cities and villages expelled and made into refugees. Hundreds of villages were ethnically cleansed, and several of them today have Israeli Jews living in the old houses owned by Palestinians (not having paid for them of course). It is almost like highway robbery. One film cannot do everything of course, but maybe it will encourages some people to dig more for the truth.

This document received so many Awards From Sundance festival to others, Can someone explain me why the hell every other movie on IMDb has Award section popping out immediately on a website but this movie NOT????

"5 Broken Cameras won the World Cinema Directing Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. it won the 2013 International Emmy Award.The film also received the Special Broadcaster IDFA Audience Award and the Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2011. In addition, the film won the Golden Apricot at the 2012 Yerevan International Film Festival, for Best Documentary Film, the Van Leer Group Foundation Award for Best Israeli Documentary at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2012, and the Busan Cinephile Award at the 17th Busan International Film Festival in 2012. 5 Broken Cameras was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards Nominated for Best Documentary Feature in the 85th Academy Awards, and for the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Documentary of 2012...

Two of the five documentary films competing for the Academy Awards ('Oscars') that will be distributed a few days from now deal with the conflict between Jews and Arabs, between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land. 'The Gatekeepers' was distributed commercially and is on screens for several weeks here in Israel, while '5 Broken Cameras' was presented on cable TV a couple of months ago, and this week it was broadcast again, including an almost prime time spot scheduled for tonight on the most popular mainstream commercial channel. This is a good thing, and for the Israeli audiences both movies are highly relevant, as they show different aspects and different perspective of the conflict. There are many differences of course in styles, approaches, characters but the reality is the same, a complex reality with many pieces of puzzle and the more you know, the better.

The concept and the story of the making of '5 Broken Cameras' is pretty unusual. Israeli film-maker Guy Davidi met in 2005 Emad Burat, a Palestinian inhabitant of the village of Bil'in. This place is well known in the area because the wall of separation between Israel and the Palestinian territories passes in the neighborhood, separating inhabitants from their fields and orchards, and this led to several lawsuits and permanent protests and confrontations with the army some of which turned violent, which were also widely covered by the Israeli and international press and TV. Emad received in 2005 a first camera from Davidi, a camera which covered not only the incidents around the construction of the wall, but also the life of the inhabitants and of the family, the permanent tension between occupation, protests and the need to run normal lives. Since then he is filming until today, actually if I am not mistaken being a cameraman became his profession. In time five cameras broke, most of them during the various incidents, and the cameras themselves became together with the material that was filmed part of the testimony.

At no moment does the film make the claim that it is impartial. It would be an impossible claim to make as the five cameras are hold by a person directly involved in the conflict, the commentary is made by the same person, and what we see and hear is a part of the close and harsh reality the author and his family lives in. Eventually both '5 Broken Cameras' and 'The Gatekeepers' despite their differences share the same problem. Their contents are highly relevant for the Israeli audiences, and the Israelis should watch them in order to understand the consequences of the occupation, the suffering of the other side, the dangers of the status-quo and of the lack of progress in the peace process. However, this is not the whole picture, this is one piece of a complex puzzle, of a long history, complicated present and uncertain future. Of course, there is that much one film (or two films) can show, and reflecting one aspect of the reality is important. The film should be taken for what it is, and the piece of reality that this film is showing should not be confused with the whole reality, such as part of the truth does not equal the whole truth.

I watched this documentary and had a total change in my view and support of Israel. To see soldiers shooting peaceful demonstrators (kids were also shot at) and also to see then shoot gas at them was horrible. The soldiers always shot at the unarmed and fenced in peaceful protesters. They killed innocent protesters for no reason. The also burned olive trees that the farmers living there had harvested for hundreds of years. Horrible. I will never support Israel again. They are not nice people and we in the US need to pressure our political legislators to also stop sending our countries needed funds to them so they can continue to kill innocents. If Israel is so smart, let them make money and fund their armies themselves.

The film shows the Israeli occupation through the eyes of a small village and its people from 2005 to 2010. It's a very honest film that depicts the struggle the Palestinians live through every day being treated like animals and sometimes worse by the young Israeli soldiers who daily harasses them. The film is necessary to show the people behind the statistics. The families that try to survive in occupied territories. It's difficult not to wonder if the Nazis in Germany treated the Jews during the early thirties worse or better than the Palestinians are treated by the Israeli military. This is a very important film that I recommend to everybody that wishes to see how daily life is like on occupied territories in Palestine.

This is a well-made documentary that allows you to experience the life of Palestinian villagers under the unjust Israeli occupation. It is very sad to see such a proud and resilient people suffer on their own land due to a ruthless and greedy occupation.

What touched me the most about this film was the bravery of these unarmed Palestinians--every man, every woman and every child--who stand up day after day to the illegal confiscation of their farm land,their olive trees, and to the soldiers who support usurping settlers and shoot live and rubber ammunition at unarmed protesters. The Israeli army also regularly terrorizes and punishes the whole village, down to arresting children.

By the way, all this is against international law. Nobody with any mercy in his/her heart could support such oppression.

I think every one should watch this documentary. This is by far a more deserving effort, than the movie on slavery. It involved the life of its brave director and his close relatives, it should deserve more success, widespread diffusion and acknowledgement than the celebrated and triumphant 12 Years Slave. Only problem this is not a healed wound we can now look back with detached feelings and condemn it as we have done with the American slavery. This is happening right now. This is about Israeli becoming violent masters over the poor and helpless Palestinians in a small village which the extremists in power have decided to turn into a new Jewish settlement area. The story is just incredible and it is a real punch in your stomach. It is unbelievable that the once prosecuted are now the worst prosecutors. And the whole world just seems to turn his head away. All Israeli cultivated and reasonable people should watch it, because one day no one will be able to say: we didn't know... A must see.

this documentary was a true and honest eyes to what really happening in the occupied territories by the Zions in Palestine, the events show how the people of the small village Bil'in suffered by the army of the Zions that burned and killed and brook the laws, not humans laws, not world's laws, but them own laws. it has a very real touching scenes witch can make a one shed the tears without he knows, when I watched those scenes and slices from lives of real people I seen those Zions as really they are, not what their press and media whas trying to show us every day in every movie we see. this documentary make me live with El-Phil and Emad and Adeeb and Dabaa for ninety minutes and I wished to live with them some more.

I've some many documentaries and movies,an Oscar winning ones. they can't be as good, honest, realistic and lively as this.

I'm really wondering and questioning why this can't win an Oscar?!

In much of American culture, there is an invisible cultural pressure to be part of trends. These examples can be seen by the long lines whenever any new Apple product is released, by the people who run out to buy the latest designer clothing that is solely offered by Target, and by the what is means to be seen with Apple's white ear buds. Although there is a place and value for being part of the mainstream culture, each person carries with them a unique perspective into this world. And in the noise of all the marketing campaigns that try to target the greater population to adopt the next best product or service, it is becoming more difficult to be influenced by perspectives that are not mainstream but at the same time important in helping people see what it means to be human, in its challenges and struggles of life. Emad Burnat possesses a passion in capturing his Palestinian community in battling to retain their village land. His documentary 5 Broken Cameras brings about a view of his life that is rarely ever made conscious in the mainstream lives of the western world. One that gives us a glimpse of what it means to be part of the modern history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Although many people have heard about the long withstanding history of Israeli-Palistenian conflict over the West Bank, the documentary brings about a quality of humanity to the conflict through a first person perspective of using non-violence protest strategies to prevent Israeli developer's from building onto the land of their village of Bil'in. Through six years worth of film, Emad is able to show a personable and affective-filled battle of many people in his village that risk their lives in protecting the land of their people. An important aspect that may often be lost to viewers of documentaries is that many of them are acting as a voice to those who have no voice. People of the western world are well-educated compared to the rest of the world and it is important that people learn to use their education and power to improve the lives of others. I have to admit that it is difficult in a world that constantly promotes the improvement of the individual and need to achieve individual success. There is an important significance that documentaries bring to the world. They pave a way for helping those with no voice gain attention and obtain a voice that is necessary. Emad has used his five broken cameras to give a voice to the village people of Bil'in and is helping people understand that not everyone in this world has stability even in the basic needs of food and shelter. Being able to see even this one perspective, is likely to help people realize that there are more important issues at hand in the world other than obtaining the latest gadget or wearing the latest fashion trend. It is therefore critical that people understand the power they possess living in the western world and how they can use it to give a voice to those who need help and do not have a voice.

Rarely has a film so thoughtfully threaded a path through a conflict. The story begins with the families involved and the disparity in power is portrayed. Quickly one perches alongside the cameraman as he captures subtle moments that embody the villagers connection to their land. The cast members are woven into the story where unquestioned armed power, meets determined, non-violent resistance. The inner struggle of each member of the cast is nuanced and reveals by turn, as they step out and find voice to speak for just, and fair treatment. There are moments too, of unexpected beauty, respite for the injuries that seem never to cease. The film is to render a story, out-of-time in character. May you find it worth viewing, I have recommended it to the artists in my community.

Retributive Justice...Oh How Sweet It Is !!

Today, Sunday, February 24, 2013, the Oscars will be hosting this first ever Oscar nominated Palestinian documentary, whose content, we all know full well, will never be shared with the estimated one billion worldwide viewing audience, nor will it ever be permitted to win.

Nevertheless, it just happens to fall on the Jewish Holiday of Purim, which commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in ancient Persia, in the wake of a plot by Haman. It is a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther. Understandably, this day of deliverance has become a day of Jewish feasting and rejoicing. It is celebrated by the giving of mutual gifts of food and drink, the offering of charity to the poor, the consumption of a celebratory meal, and in addition to the prayers and the grace after the meals, there is often a public recitation of the Scroll of Esther. Other customs include the drinking of wine, the wearing of masks and costumes, as well as the exuberant display of celebrations in public. Like Hanukkah, Purim has more of a 'national' (Israel) than a 'religious' (Judaic) character, and its status as a holiday is on a lesser stature than those days ordained by the Torah. Accordingly, business transactions (including the Oscars), and even manual labor are allowed on Purim.

As early as the 5th century, there was a custom to "BURN AN EFFIGY" of Haman on Purim.

However, the first religious ceremony ordained in the celebration of Purim, is the reading of the Book of Esther (Megillah) in Synagogues. The Megillah is read with a scintillation (a traditional chant) differing from that used in the customary reading of the Torah. When Haman's name is read out during the public chanting of the Megillah in the Synagogues, which by the way occurs 54 times, the congregation engages in boisterous noise-making to "BLOT OUT THE NAME".

Over time, a custom developed of writing the name of Haman on two smooth stones, thereafter knocking them together until the name was blotted out. Others write the name of Haman on the soles of their shoes, and then at the mention of the name, loudly and repeatedly stomp their feet as a sign of contempt. Most though, employ the use a loud and noisy ratchet, called a ra'ashan, or in Yiddish a grager. Although some rabbis have protested against these uproarious excesses (raucous stomping and deafening ratcheting), considering them to be a disturbance of public worship, nevertheless, these two customs in particular, have continued to be universally carried out in almost all Synagogues on Purim.

Just a thought ?!

I wonder if during the Oscars, the Zionists of Hollywood plan to conduct an 'L.A. Festival of Burning', wherein all copies of the "Un-Israeli" film '5 Broken Cameras' will be incinerated, not unlike that conducted by the Nazis in May of 1933, during which upwards of 25,000 volumes of "Un-German" books (predominantly Jewish) were burned ?!

Or worse yet, publicly humiliate themselves during the announcement of the film's nomination for an Oscar award, by stomping their feet and twirling permitted Ra'ashans, in a feeble attempt to 'Blot It Out'?!

After all, just the other day, they did attempt to prevent the film-maker Emad Burnat, together with his wife and 8 year old son, from attending, by way of harassment and intimidation at the hands of Immigration Officials at L.A.X.

Perhaps, it was because a 'Film' or even a 'Broken Camera' in the hands of a Palestinian now constitutes a potential 'Terrorist Threat' ?!

5 Broken Cameras is dangerously one-sided. It provides an important perspective to understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict, but it epically fails to balance it. This isn't to say the film should have attempted to defend Israel's policy of building settlements, but the power of the film is undoubtedly lessened by it's damaging blindness. The portrayal of the IDF soldiers is inaccurate and incomplete. Israeli soldiers cannot and do not fire their weapons unless there is a clear and imminent threat to their lives. They take no joy in breaking up protests. The portrayal of the Hassidic Jews is offensive and frankly anti-Semitic. Was there really no footage where they weren't threatening to sue the cameraman? Come on...

I genuinely hope the audience of this film makes an effort to seek the complicated truth. That would be a step toward peace. Watching this film alone is not... quite the opposite.

I was hunting around for some documentaries and stumbled on this film. I don't like to watch this type of film because it really makes me sad to see the hypocrites in this world! It's so ironic that the Zionists are the new Hitler and have basically created an Apartheid state in that region. See this film also reminded me of the Western expansion of the USA and how American Indians and Mexicans were slaughtered, tricked, and forced to give up their land! I hate to see any group of people be bullied by a big faceless government. Those ugly apartments and walls, is exactly what the Germans did when they called Jews vermin and basically caged them in and slowly exterminated them. I don't see much difference in this situation and it's shameful to know it is happening as a human being in 2013!

The title of the moved had my attention. Did this movie telling about a man who liked to destroy his camera? Totally wrong. My experience watching documentary film never been good. But this one is different. This documentary taken by Emad, who live in Bil'in, near the border of Israeli settlement, with his family. Emad filming it from 2005-2010, the using of first camera marked by his fourth son birth, Gibreel, a heart-taker boy with his adorable smile. Bil'in threatened with Israel's settlement which growing up uncontrollably. The Israel's settlement supposed to be has its own area as the agreement before, but they keep expand the housing area. Meanwhile they also built the prickly high fence to prevent the Palestinian enter Israel's area. The residence did protest to the Israeli army. In return, the threw tear gas to the unarmed civilians. Not only that, they keep shooting to any demonstrator, old, young, woman, man. They didn't care. All they wanted to do was to keep them away from the border. The one who consider trigger the protest would be arrested, though the kid. There was interesting moment when Palestinian kids protested to the army with the demand's poster : we want to sleep! let's us sleep at night.

Mostly, Emad's camera damaged because of Israeli army. They shoot it. Not only Emad's camera, but also others journalist's camera. Emad's brother, Adeeb, always became the front man when demonstration occur. He's not afraid even he sent to the jail for several times,had been shot, and need a year to recover.

This documentary is worth to watch because it tells us the fact. The fact that this is still happen. A group of people treated unfairly. Why should shoots people to get the land? 5 broken cameras persuade us to think about this question : does the rights to live independently without being fear become more impossible nowadays?