Month: November 2022

Budrus (2010) Movie Review

“Nothing scares the army more than nonviolent opposition”

Budrus (2010)

Budrus (2010) is about the small village of Budrus in occupied Palestinian territory and their fight to keep their land and culture from being demolished and divided by the Israeli Separation Barrier.

Budrus is small agricultural village where approximately 1,500 Palestinian people live, many of whom have lived on the land for generations cultivating olives. It is a very close community that has a strong connection to their land, which one of the villagers summed up as “death, stealing the land, and uprooting the trees are one and the same.” This connection between the land and the villagers was almost severed when the Israeli government began construction on a separation wall between Israeli and Palestinian territories. In the documentary, we hear multiple Israeli guards claim that the border is to help defend Israeli citizens from Palestinian terrorists; however, if this was true, the wall separating the two territories would not infringe on the Palestinian side of the green line. The original plan for the separation wall through Budrus would have confiscated 3,000 acres, removed approximately 3,000 olive trees, cut through the cemetery, and would be approximately 40 meters from the school.

Director:
Julia Bacha

The documentary, directed by Julia Bacha, follows Ayed Morrar and his daughter Iltezam through the process to save the village from destruction by the separation barrier. Ayed knew that this struggle needed to be nonviolent because otherwise the Israeli government would classify the village as terrorists and feel free to use any amount of force necessary to build the barrier. Although Ayed was considered the leader of the movement (and was the main focus throughout the documentary), he held a more horizontal and democratic type of leadership where tactics were decided on by a group. The villagers met to strategize their goal of stopping the separation barrier from destroying their land, and the next day began their demonstrations.

The documentary did a very good job showing the process of a movement from start to end. It depicted the strategizing, the escalations and the reactions, and how the movement was able to change the separation walls route around Budrus. Some of the tactics used in Budrus included protests; chanting; obstructing the bulldozers; symbolically naming the uprooted trees; holding marches; gathering support from Israeli activists, South African anti-apartheid leaders, and local and national leaders; humanizing the border guards and asking them to disobey orders; etc. In addition to showing Budrus’ demonstrations, the documentary did a very good job depicting the escalation from the Israeli state and the ways that they reacted to the demonstrations. These reactions included verbal warnings; rubber bullets; stun bombs; live ammunition; beatings; state implemented curfew; occupying the buildings; and arrests.

The most effective tactic displayed in the documentary was the way they spread out during marches/protests. The people would spread themselves horizontally across the field or hill and therefore force the border guards to spread themselves out. Inevitably, a gap in the guard’s line emerged, the people would rush past them and race to the bulldozers, where they would stand in the way. At one point, Iltezam climbed into the hole the bulldozer had just used to uproot a tree. This forced the workers and the bulldozer to move, which is when the villagers attempted to replant the olive trees that were uprooted. The cooperation between Budrus, the local villages, and the Israeli activists was another great strategy that shined an international light on the conflict. It also brought a lot of media attention to the cause and helped Israeli and Pakistani people humanize each other.

Overall, the movement in Budrus was effective, they held 55 demonstrations and saved 95% of the land, olive trees, and saved the cemetery. This documentary is a great tool in learning nonviolent tactics because it achieved its goal to save their land and it was used as an example for other villages and cities in Palestine.  This movie offered strong insights into how a small village under occupation can successfully make a change and lead to broader reform.

Blog Written By

Meghan Geist

Movie Review: Stonewall Uprisings

Stonewall Uprising

Stonewall Uprisings is a PBS produced documentary that educates the viewer on the historical and political moments that led up to the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. The film uses interviews from gay/lesbian activists and police officers involved in the riot to discuss how it came to be and its impact on the larger LGBTQ+ rights movement. Overall, it provides examples of the very real tensions between violent and nonviolent tactics.

There is a brief consideration on the language of Stonewall – was it a riot? was it an uprising? But the question is left unanswered. The documentary frames the Stonewall Uprising as a spontaneous event that resulted from tensions boiling over from how queer people were being continually victimized by the police. With that frame in mind, most of the LGBTQ+ organizing groups that existed during this time were left out, so it appears all the tactics used were a result of on-the-ground spontaneity and not serious organizing. Also, this film leaves out the roles of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera who are often credited with starting Stonewall.

Through exploring a brief history of what occurred before Stonewall, the films portrays several nonviolent tactics. For example, early movement activists would picket in the street while wearing business professional clothes to demonstrate their “sameness.” Another example is during the Stonewall nights, there was a nonviolent Drag Queen Rockette Line. While it was acknowledged that this tactic confused the police, the activists were still met with brutality. The tactics, whether they were violent or nonviolent, were met with police brutality however it was the nonviolent tactics of picketing that were first critiqued for folding into the respectability narrative. The tactic that saw the most success, at least in measuring its lasting impact, was the decision to march down New York – resulting in the creation of the first Pride parade.

Ultimately, if the goal of the course is to show a movie that debates and uses nonviolent tactics, then Stonewall Uprisings is not appropriate. However, if the goal of the course is to encourage conversations on the uses and debates of violence as a tactic, then Stonewall Uprisings offers an unashamed look at using property destruction to challenge police brutality.

Written by:

Caraline Feairheller