HOT DOCS

Gaza 90 minutes

directed by Gary Keane and Andrew McConnell

This intimate portrait digs beneath the stereotypes of victimhood and terror to uncover the hopes and fears of stubborn Gazans, particularly the young. Made over several years by two Irish directors, the film moves from playful schoolboys and young fishers, to lets at least a few of the nearly two million people jammed into a few square miles of territory speak for themselves. The way in which they try to find hope in a situation the world has given up on, through their laughter and love for each other, cannot but move the most hardened viewer. In the end it is their art expressed in music and poetry that underpins this kaleidoscope of resilience. But does not shrink from the Israeli warships lurking beyond the three-mile limit, or the IDF snipers that pick off unarmed demonstrators. An excellent campaigning tool, if accompanied by an introduction to the historical geopolitics involved.