Known as the “war of independence” by Israelis and the “Nakba” (or “catastrophe”) by Palestinians, the reshaping of the map by armed forces was carried out under the leadership of David Ben Gurion, who, according to certain soldiers, instructed the fighters to “do their utmost” to claim Palestine as their own. Still, this is explosive material for anyone unfamiliar with Israel’s history, which began in May 1948 when the British Mandate for Palestine ended and the new state of Israel declared its independence, resulting in a war that lasted for nearly a year and saw 750,000 to 800,000 Palestinians expelled from the land. Using archive footage (some with added sound effects) to “cinematically illustrate events,” Schwarz can be a little too hands-on, chopping up the interviews to the point that you never spend enough time with any of the subjects except for Katz, whose life has been more or less ruined by his quest for the truth. Premiering in Sundance’s international documentary competition, the film is rather conventional in form but provides a troubling new perspective on Middle Eastern history that demands further viewing. Venue: Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Documentary Competition)įor his movie, Schwarz spoke with Katz - now in his 70s and weakened by several strokes - as well as a handful of surviving soldiers and eyewitnesses, shedding light on the birth of a nation whose past and present have been mired in conflict.
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