Very disappointing...

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Good concept, poorly executed.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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.

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.

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.

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.