Smile, And The World Will Smile Back

director: Al-Haddad Family, Ehab Tarabieh, Yoav Gross

original title: Im Tekhayekh, Ha'olam Yekhayekh Elekha

country: Israel, Palestinian Territories

year: 2014

running time: 20 min.

synopsis

This raw, handheld recording of Israeli soldiers’ legal but unwelcome nighttime visit to a Palestinian household grew out of a project by the B’Tselem center, which gave volunteers in the West Bank cameras. Armed with the legal right to film, we see what the Israelis do during their searches and what absurd orders the Palestinians must obey. There’s more than one way to skin a cat... but no one’s laughing.

DETAIL:
In military uniforms, machine guns at the ready and with translator in tow, they knock and want to come in. They don’t have to say why, nor do they have to explain why they force the people to do what they want from them. They wake the children, rearrange the furniture, and aim at your back when they make you face the wall.

biography

The film was made under the auspices of B’Tselem – an Israeli information center for human rights in the occupied territories. The filmmakers were members of the Palestinian al-Haddad family in the West Bank town of Hebron. The film was given its final format by Ehab Tarabieh and Yoav Gross, whose short film Susya was shown in Jihlava in 2011.

more about film

director:	Al-Haddad Family, Ehab Tarabieh, Yoav Gross
producer:	Ehab Tarabieh, Yoav Gross
editing:	Yoav Gross, Ehab Tarabieh

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