Bil'in My Love - Bil'in Habibti בלעין חביבתי
The village of Bil'in is about to lose over a half of its territory
to the separation barrier and to the Israeli settlement Modi'in Elite.
The residents of the village decide join other villages and to embark on a
struggle against the construction of the barrier and are joined by international
and Israeli activists. The director, Shai Carmeli-Pollak arrives together with
the Israeli activists and accompanies the village's struggle for over a year,
focusing on two central figures: Mohammed, a member of the village's local
Committee against the barrier, and Wagee, farmer and father of ten, who is
losing the majority of his land to the barrier and to the settlement.
The insistence of Bil'in's residents and the partnership with the Israelis
attracts local and international media. The village becomes known as the
symbol of the Palestinian-Israeli joint struggle against the separation barrier
and the occupation. The friendship between Shai, the activists and the
people of the village crosses political borders and becomes a love story
between human beings, who refuse to be enemies.
AWARDS:
Winner: Wolgin Award -- Sharing prize - for Full-length Documentary Film - The Jerusalem International Film Festival 2006
Honorable Mention - ‚Movies That Matter Award- Rotterdam International Film Festival 2007
Second Audience Choice - Sarajevo Film Festival on August 2007
WINNER of Two Prizes : Special Price of the Jury and Price of the Youth of the festival
at Peoples film festival Peoples' Film Festival Anuu-ru aboro, a man's shadow Pweedi Wiimia, New Caledonia, November 2008
Film Festivals:
• The Jerusalem International Film Festival, July 2006.
• Rotterdam International Film Festival, January 2007.
• Visions Du Reel - Nyon, Suisse, April 2007.
• Seoul Human Rights Film Festival, May 2007.
• Amnesty International Film Festival, Movies that Matter Foundation, The Netherlands, 2007.
• Palestine FF, London 2007.
• Voices Forward Film Festival, Toronto, June 2007.
• Cinema Utopia FF, Avignon, France, July 2007.
• Sarajevo Film Festival, August 2007.
• Uhuru Productions / 3 Continental FF, South Africa, September 2007.
• Calgary FF, Canada, September 2007.
• International Environmental FF, Torino, Italy, October 2007.
• Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan, October, 2007.
• Bergen International Film Festival, Norway, October 2007.
• Middle East: What Can Cinema Do?, Carol Shyman, Paris, Nov 2007.
• Brussels Attac FF, Belgium, November 2007
• Black Nights FF, Estonia, December 2007.
• Seattle Palestine FF, Jan-Feb 2008
• Human Rights Film festival, Croatia, February 2008
• ViBGYOR International Film Festival, India, February 2008.
• New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, April 2008.
• San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, August 2008
• Human Rights Arts & Film Festival -- Australia
• Peoples' Film Festival Anuu-ru aboro, a man's shadow Pweedi Wiimia,
• New Caledonia, November 2008
• Donostia - San Sebastián, Spain, 2010
• Chicago Palestine Film Festival, USA, 2010
• Muestra De Cine Palestino de Madrid, Spain, 2010
Directed by: Shai Carmeli Pollak
Produced by: Claudia Levin
Production Company: Claudius Films Ltd.
Cinematography: Shai Carmeli Pollak
Editing: Amos Ponger, Tanya Raikhlin
Sound Design: Itzik Cohen , Ereal Miloh