All That's Left of You - Wow!
A deeply moving, multigenerational drama, ALL
THAT’S LEFT OF YOU follows a Palestinian teenager who gets swept into
a protest in the Occupied West Bank and experiences a moment of violence that
rocks his family. The film unfolds as his mother recounts the political and
emotional threads that led to that fateful moment. Spanning seven decades, the
film traces the hopes and heartaches of one uprooted family, bearing witness to
the scars of dispossession and the enduring legacy of survival. Jordan's
Official Selection for the 98th Academy Awards.
https://www.watermelonpictures.com/films/all-thats-left-of-you
I’m crying
again as I think of the movie. I’ve
seen other moving films about Palestine, Gaza and Israel. None has touched me as deeply as this film!
Anyone – who is
a “hardened” supporter of Israel – who believes that Anti-Semitism and the
danger of another Holocaust killing massive number of Jews – and that Israel is
THE only way to prevent this, don’t bother to watch this movie (or read this
review of the movie).
I don’t want
to describe the plot in more detail than is explained above, though it’s light
on the details that share the depth of the compassion and passion and love of
the family members and their community.
It also is incredibly insightful in showing how a systemic – “powered/powerful”
– effort at seeking pity and compassion, while causing horrific harm, results
in internally tearing a family apart over generations.
The traumas
that we Jewish People underwent include not only The Holocaust, but also
horrific deeply embedded pain from the Shtetls of Eastern Europe and
beyond. When we fail to work through
our personal, bodily deepened traumas from the past 2000 or so years, we
commonly remain stuck in fear.
Hatred –
results – internally and more importantly externally – as we blame “The Arabs”
and “The Muslims” as the evil – “OTHERS”!
The Palestinian
People – then and now – generally share compassion and caring for Humankind –
and do not systemically hate Jews – such as “you” and me. They do have hatred for those who humiliate
them, though generally they don’t seek revenge. A key character in the movie demonstrates
this, initially expressing his deep anger out of hopeless and extreme
negativity. When his wife and others
hear him and help him understand much more deeply, he grows exponentially in
his heart. He can’t escape the deep
hurt. He can, and does re-connect and
the love he has deepens and deepens.
This movie –
incredibly exposes so much! My spouse
was visibly crying through multiple parts of the film. At my right time, my tears began. I then particularly appreciated the
conclusion of the movie and 10 minutes or so after the end of the film. Then I could take in how deeply I was
impacted by the caring kindness of all those who made this movie, as well as
the fellow audience attendees.
It was sad –
before the movie began– to talk with a Palestinian-American man and his spouse. They spoke sounding similar to others I had
heard 18 months earlier – in Berkeley, California, USA – speaking of their Survivor
Guilt – not being in Gaza – being “exiles” – though they probably were born in
The U.S. close to 65 years ago or so.
I want to begin
my conclusion with a totally separate posting I saw on Facebook.
According to her nation's laws, Israeli Ilana Hammerman is a
criminal. The law she keeps breaking: "Anyone who drives, hosts, or in any
other way assists a Palestinian's entry to Israel shall be sentenced to two
years in prison or fined."
That law has never gone over well with Hammerman, a writer,
translator, and editor. She and a group of other Israeli women put up signs
saying: "Civilian zone: No entry to the army! This road leads to
Palestinian settlements. Israeli civilians, do not be afraid! Come and visit
Palestinian settlements; refuse to be enemies!"
Several years before the sign caper, she spent time in the
West Bank learning Arabic. Some girls there told her how much they'd like to
leave their highly restricted world, if only for a day. So Hammerman brought
them from their Palestinian village to Tel Aviv, after counseling the girls to
wear modern clothes, and teaching them a few Hebrew phrases to use if they were
questioned. They visited a museum, a mall, a market, and the beach, and they
ate ice cream on a boulevard bench. In the evening, the girls returned home. It
was the first time that the girls had ever left their village, and they loved
it.
Hammerman wrote about the experience in a newspaper, knowing
full well that she was reporting on her own illegal action. Sure enough, a
complaint was soon lodged against her with the Israeli police. She was
questioned by conservative media reporters who wanted to know if she had
checked the girls' jeans for hidden explosives.
But shortly thereafter, other Israeli women brought more
Palestinian women into Israeli areas for a day, just as Hammerman had done.
They formed a group called "We Will not Obey" and proclaimed,
"We did this in the footsteps of Ilana Hammerman."
Hammerman continues bringing Palestinian women and children
on day trips to Tel Aviv and to the Mediterranean. And she continues to write
about her lawbreaking, regardless of the consequences to herself. As she says,
"I consider myself entitled, even obligated, to examine “by means of
common sense" the justice and morality of the laws that apply to me and to
other people who are subject to the laws of my country."
She's gaining more and more supporters. One of them has
explained why: "What we are doing here will not change the situation. But
it is one more activity to oppose the Occupation. One day in the future, people
will ask, like they did of the Germans: 'Did you know?' And I will be able to
say, 'I knew. And I acted.'"
It is difficult to live – being very afraid! Jewish people in Israel, the United States,
and elsewhere have long feared the Palestinian People. It is much easier to not have such fears
when one has meaningful friendships with others who are different. One example: White people who have close
Black friends learn of the humanity not only of their friends, but of far more
people.
It seems beyond comprehension (from my limited perspective) for
some I know to think about or understand “survivor guilt”, absent a context of
where a parent might have felt they could block a bullet that killed their child
who was next to them, or a similar situation.
This movie has a powerful message for those whose eyes and
ears are truly open. It is one of the
best movies I’ve ever seen. Emotions –
can and will be deeply felt for a lot of us!
Also, more importantly, it helps us to think and learn (more and more)!
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