Al-hadiya

I don't know about the original Arabic title, but the English translation of this Academy Award nominated short, "The Present," has a neat double meaning, as it refers to both the wedding anniversary gift of a refrigerator and to the current state of affairs of the apartheid system of occupation and border control of the West Bank. None of the ethnic, historical, political or religious underpinnings are explored here, thankfully; it's just a simple tale of a man and his daughter going twice through a checkpoint to go shopping and return home and the indignities and pain suffered there from.

Indeed, the supposed Israeli guards aren't depicted flatteringly at all, but it is rather the opposite of what one sees in most movies that reach the West and are located somewhere in the Middle East, where Arabic and Palestinian characters are often played by Israeli actors instead of, as here, reportedly, the other way around. And, I look forward to seeing "White Eye," the Israeli nominee for the same award.

Greetings again from the darkness. It may look like the crowd filing out of a sports arena after a big match, but in fact, it's actual footage of an Israeli checkpoint in Palestine along the West Bank. Another big difference ... heavily armed soldiers and cages to detain those while identification is checked.

This is the life writer-director Farah Nabulsi shows us in her 23 minute gem of a short film. She focuses on Yusef (an excellent Saleh Bakri), a man struggling to make ends meet for his wife and young daughter. Today is his wedding anniversary and he agrees to take daughter Yasmine (Miriam Kanj) along on a shopping trip. She witnesses her dad battle severe back pain, as well as the frustrations in dealing with the armed guards at the checkpoint - even as he endures the humiliation of being caged in front of her.

Yusef is a good man and strives to protect his daughter and shield her from the tension and danger - often through humor or a warm embrace. Something as simple as replacing a fridge on the fritz is part of the daily struggle for folks like Yusef. Sometimes it takes the courage and reasonableness of a youngster to highlight the irrational rules that have taken over the world. The film has a grounded, realistic feel, and delivers a sobering message.

This film was so moving. The part I loved the most was how human the situation was. As you watch it, you feel the frustration of what its like to go through the day with that kind of adversity. When that adversity looks like abuse of power its especially difficult to digest. The young lady is so pure and a delightful soul. The thing that left me was that it only shows the story from the lens of "in the day of". It leaves you with the question, that what would be the consequence of making independent decisions. That anxiety hits you hard especially if you have experienced oppressive situations like this before. For many that have empathy or a history of systems like this, this movie definitely leaves a mark.

Our most fundamental assumptions about the humiliations and threat of violence that Palestinians in the West Bank suffer in their daily lives, go beyond what is already proved true in this beautifully filmed and acted, simple story of an anniversary celebration. A man and his young daughter cross the border to buy his wife a present. There are no gun shots. No one dies but the future of this small family are all to easy to imagine and that's where the power of this sensitively told tale lies.

The Present is a heartbreaking film that illustrates the reality of the israeli occupation in Palestine. In this short film, the director was able to brilliantly capture the essence of the inhumane israeli occupation of Palestinians by demonstrating its unjust treatment of Palestinian citizens and showcasing the checkpoints, segregated roads, constant interrogation and continuous armed inspection that Palestinians must go through every single day when performing tasks as simple as going shopping in their town. The film also sheds light on the physical and mental repercussions of this occupation on the men, women and especially children who suffer because of it.