Private DVD Review:

Synopsis:

Based on real-life events, this film tells of a Palestinian family of 7 (2 parents, 3 boys and 2 girls) living a fairly privileged life, in spite of the Israeli-Paestinian conflict. One night however, a group of Israeli soldiers occupy the house. The head of the household, Mohammed, refuses to leave his home and disrupt the life of his family. The house is divided into two sections, with the family banned from going upstairs which has been taken over by the soldiers, and having to endure being locked in one small room every night.

The family is affected in different ways by this occupation. Mohammed wants to make a peaceful stand for his rights, whilst the children are either traumatised or find their patriotism stirring to potentially disastrous effect.

Review

Many films about true-life conflicts tend to demonise one side whilst sanctifying another. Director Saverio Constanto manages to portray a balanced viewpoint, by letting us see the internal tensions between both factions, which gives both sides some humanity.

There is a real sense of claustrophobia in the movie, largely due to the fact that the film was shot using handheld cameras. This method is particularly effective in the scenes where the eldest daughter takes to spying on the soldiers upstairs. The point of view shots make these scenes unbearably tense. Another standout scene is a firefight that occurs between the Israeli soldiers and other troops. This battle is never seen, but we experience it from the expressions of the family and the sounds of gunfire.

The performances of the movie are uniformly good but special mention has to go to Mohammed Bakri, who as the patriarch of the house, desperately tries to keep his resistance non violent, whilst not endangering his family.

The film is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic format, with a Dolby Digital soundtrack. There are problems with the presentation, but given the way the movie was shot, this is to be expected.

The film refuses to give any easy answers to this small battle and the wider conflict. It ends on a downbeat note, and has to applauded for doing so. For those who enjoy cinema that makes you think, I would highly recommend this film.

Score : 4/5

Extras

Behind the Scenes : Not Only For a Piece of Land (approx. 57 minutes)

This is a behind the scenes documentary, which is not the usual marketing fluff. We get to hear of the cast’s own experiences of the conflict, and also their differing point of views.

Saverio Constanzo Q & A (approx. 34 minutes)

Shot during a Q & A session at the ICA cinema, the director answers several questions from the audience. This feature is particularly worth watching to find out the actual fates of the people who are still experiencing this.

The only other extra is a theatrical trailer.



Sandeep Talati