Gaza ghetto
Encyclopedia
Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Family, 1948 - 1984 is a documentary film about the life of a Palestinian
family living in the Jabalia refugee camp.
The film, created by Joan Mandell, Pea Holmquist, and Pierre Bjorklund in 1984 is believed to be the first documentary ever made in Gaza. The film features Ariel Sharon
, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
and soldiers on patrol "candidly discuss[ing] their responsibilities."
In his book, An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking, Hamid Naficy describes the film as an "early important film" on the Palestinian refugee
situation.
The film follows a refugee family from the Gaza Strip
who visit the site of their former village, now a Jewish town in Israel
. As the grandfather and great-grandfather point out an orchard and sycamore fig that belonged to Muhammed Ayyub and Uncle Khalil, an Israeli resident appears and tells them to leave, claiming they need a permit to be there. The mother tells him that, "We work in Jaffa
and Tel Aviv
and that's not forbidden," to which he replies, "Here it's forbidden." Ted Swedenburg mentions his scene in Memories of Revolt: The 1936-1939 Rebellion and the Palestinian National Past: "While chasing the refugee family off, he asserts forcibly that the site is his home."
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
family living in the Jabalia refugee camp.
The film, created by Joan Mandell, Pea Holmquist, and Pierre Bjorklund in 1984 is believed to be the first documentary ever made in Gaza. The film features Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
Binyamin Fuad Ben-Eliezer , , born 12 February 1936) is an Israeli politician and former military officer of Iraqi origin. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party, and has held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour, Minister of...
and soldiers on patrol "candidly discuss[ing] their responsibilities."
In his book, An Accented Cinema: Exilic and Diasporic Filmmaking, Hamid Naficy describes the film as an "early important film" on the Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
situation.
The film follows a refugee family from the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
who visit the site of their former village, now a Jewish town in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. As the grandfather and great-grandfather point out an orchard and sycamore fig that belonged to Muhammed Ayyub and Uncle Khalil, an Israeli resident appears and tells them to leave, claiming they need a permit to be there. The mother tells him that, "We work in Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
and Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and that's not forbidden," to which he replies, "Here it's forbidden." Ted Swedenburg mentions his scene in Memories of Revolt: The 1936-1939 Rebellion and the Palestinian National Past: "While chasing the refugee family off, he asserts forcibly that the site is his home."