Meet The Filmmaker

Meet the Filmmaker (Elizabeth Sheldon, distribution rep)

“Five Broken Cameras” 

Date: Monday, June 10, 2013

Location: NY NATAS, 1375 Broadway (between 37th and 38th Streets), Suite 2103

Reception: 6:00-6:30 PM ~ Program: 6:30-8:00 PM

 

*Free to NY NATAS Members! $15 for those without current NY NATAS membership.

"Five Broken Cameras"

Produced & Moderated by Sumner Jules Glimcher.

The first-ever Palestinian film to be nominated for best Documentary Feature by A.M.P.A.S®, the critically-acclaimed FIVE BROKEN CAMERAS is a deeply personal, first-hand account of life and non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village surrounded by Israeli settlements. Shot by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, Gibreel, the film was co-directed by Burnat and Guy Davidi, an Israeli filmmaker. Structured in chapters around the destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the filmmakers’ collaboration follows one family’s evolution over five years of village upheaval. As the years pass in front of the camera, we witness Gibreel grow from a newborn baby into a young boy who observes the world unfolding around him with the astute powers of perception that only children possess.  Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are bulldozed, protests intensify and lives are lost in this cinematic diary and unparalleled record of life in the West Bank. FIVE BROKEN CAMERAS is a Palestinian-Israeli-French co-production.  A Kino Lorber Release.

THE FILMMAKERS:

A lifelong inhabitant of the Palestinian village of Bil’in, Emad Burnat is a farmer and freelance cameraman. He has contributed to several documentaries, including Bil’in My Love, Palestine Kids, Open Close, and Interrupted Streams.  Born in Jaffa, Guy Davidi is a documentary filmmaker and teacher who has been directing, editing, and shooting films since the age of 16. His short documentaries include In Working Progress, Keywords, and Women Defying Barriers; his first feature film, Interrupted Streams, premiered in 2010 at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

FILMMAKERS' STATEMENT:

When we started this project, we knew we would be criticized for working together. Emad would be asked why he chose to make the film with an Israeli, and Guy would be asked why he chose to make the film with a Palestinian. Still, the actual differences between us were something we could not avoid: we have different cultural backgrounds and different privileges, and we had to learn to use them in a constructive way. There are also different expectations for us as a result of our identities.  When we finally decided to make the film, we decided it had to be as intimate and personal as possible. That was the only way to tell the story in a new and emotional way. For Emad, this was not an obvious or simple decision. Exposure can be flattering, but it can also be risky. On the other hand, the film had be focused on Emad’s narrative, with Guy taking the role of storyteller.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED DUE TO BUILDING SECURITY. ALL NAMES MUST BE ON GUEST LIST. Please RSVP via email info@nyemmys.org to reserve a seat. Please write “Five Broken Cameras” in the subject line. Space is limited.

Location: NY NATAS
1375 Broadway, Suite 2103
New York , NY 10018

Date: June 10, 2013, 2 p.m. - June 10, 2013, 4 p.m.