Review by Vinoo
Language : English
Director : Cecilia Parsberg
A wonderful documentary that tells the story of Palestinian boy Ahmed’s heart which continues to beat inside Israeli girl Samah. Israeli snipers shoot Ahmed in Jenin. He is taken to a hospital in Haifa and is declared clinically dead. Ahmed’s parents decide to gift his organs and Samah becomes the recipient of his heart. This, in the words of the Director Cecila Parsberg, symbolically ‘drills a hole in the wall’ that is being built around the refugee town of Jenin. Palestinian poet, Kefah who was imprisoned when he was just fourteen, says ‘They should understand they are going to lose. When a Palestinian boy throws a stone at a Tank, he expects a bullet in return. But then, he still does it. He isn’t afraid to die. That is the message he is giving them’. The Director meets the parents of Ahmed and then again meets Samah and her parents to give us a view of how people across the world are the same while an unwanted war is being fought between their countries. Ahmed’s parents hope this heart from Jenin is a message from all Palestinians to all Israelis to stop this war. My favourite scene in the film is where Samah kicks a football. After all she has a footballer’s heart, which I recall from shots of Ahmed playing football in the beginning of the film. The Director very strongly makes the point that you and I, ordinary people, have the power to create channels for connecting with others. Comments from the poet Kefah sums it up nicely ‘The case of Jenin, and Palestine, is at the same time specific and general’. This could be as much an India and Pakistan story as it could be that of any other warring neighbours.
It was good to watch the film with the Director, Cecilia Parsberg, along with the entire team from the School of Film directing, Gothenberg, sweden, at Suchitra, Bangalore. The film was preceded by an introduction and was followed by an interesting discussion. You can see more of the visual artists work at this.is/Jenin and this.is/TheWall and here is the link to her exhibitions and biography this.is/Parsberg
If you’d like to watch the film ‘A heart from Jenin’ here it is or here.
It was good to have been able to watch some other films from the students of the School of Film Directing, Gothenberg, Sweden. ‘A safer place for the wild’ (Hanna Hogstedt), ‘Topdog’ (Anton Kalirot), ‘Dark Side’ (Emelie Lindblom), ‘Pura Vida’ (Anders Hazelius, ‘No stars upon us’ (Martin Sjogren), ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ (Mariken Halle) etc.
It made me revisit some of the Israeli film-maker Amos Gitai films from the ‘Territories’ series : ‘Bayit / House’, ‘House in Jerusalem’, ‘Wadi’, Wadi Grand Canyon’, ‘Field diary’, and ‘Arena of murder’. Also recommended ‘Persona non grata’ by oliver stone where he doesn’t get an interview with Yasser arafat. Not a great film but gets you inside the Palestine – Israel conflict.
Also watched ‘7 Khoon maaf’, disappointing fare from my one of my favourite Director’s, Vishal Bharadwaj. He seems jinxed with Ruskin Bond scripts while his Shakespeare adaptations were pretty good. Saw ‘Guzaarish’ in parts. A shameless, and blatant, lift of ‘Mar adentro’. Well… he has changed the sailor into a magician. Just watch the original to see how pathetic the Bhansali version is.
Useless trivia : Cecilia Parsberg is a visual artist who lives and works in Stockholm. She is a PhD student in Fine Arts and is also a guest lecturer at the School of Film Directing, Gothenberg, Sweden. For more on her check here.
I quite loved the way Cecilia Parsberg has worked on some of her projects and specifically her comment about how all of us take a photograph of someone who has been exploited and then we do the same with that photograph. It is really commendable how she has been able to give something in return to them. Amazing this.
Also loved her work on the ‘Queen of the homeless’. Here is the link.
NB : * This film is different from ‘A heart of Jenin’
Also check out this clip
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