Machssomim

machssomim 2003 israel- gaza strip checkpoint
Yoav Shamir, Israel 2003

The West Bank and Gaza Strip, home to over three million Palestinians, have been under Israeli military authority since 1967. When they want to move from one village or city to another, to visit relatives or doctors, or to go to work, they must pass through one of dozens of heavily guarded Israeli checkpoints, set up after years of terrorist attacks. Filmed from 2001 to 2003, director Yoav Shamir has created an incredibly honest and moving vérité record of various occurrences at these checkpoints.

Reviews
“As a rare glimpse into the uneasy relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, there's no denying that Checkpoint excels. But the film is also tremendously entertaining, if occasionally infuriating.”