5 Broken Cameras is dangerously one-sided. It provides an important perspective to understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict, but it epically fails to balance it. This isn't to say the film should have attempted to defend Israel's policy of building settlements, but the power of the film is undoubtedly lessened by it's damaging blindness. The portrayal of the IDF soldiers is inaccurate and incomplete. Israeli soldiers cannot and do not fire their weapons unless there is a clear and imminent threat to their lives. They take no joy in breaking up protests. The portrayal of the Hassidic Jews is offensive and frankly anti-Semitic. Was there really no footage where they weren't threatening to sue the cameraman? Come on...
I genuinely hope the audience of this film makes an effort to seek the complicated truth. That would be a step toward peace. Watching this film alone is not... quite the opposite.
I genuinely hope the audience of this film makes an effort to seek the complicated truth. That would be a step toward peace. Watching this film alone is not... quite the opposite.