I watched this in November 2023 in the aftermath of the 7/10 atrocities to try and get a wider understanding of the problems in a region that has been thrust into the spotlight.
I'll preface by saying I'm neither Jewish nor Israeli and my knowledge of the Israel/Palestine conflict is hardly extensive, but the good reviews of this documentary gave me hope that it would provide some good insight.
Within the first few minutes, words like 'apartheid' and 'colonialism' are banded around, which doesn't exactly set the scene for a balanced portrayal of the topic, but nevertheless the film does go on to attempt it.
As other reviewers have noted, this is wonderfully shot and generally well-made in terms of production values, but this is probably the best thing about it.
At nearly 2hrs long it still struggles not to rush over important events, and it begins abruptly with the assumption that the viewer is aware of the complex history of the region prior to 1948. This makes it rather fast-paced, with a lot of information to take in at once.
There are some wonderful and interesting characters interviewed on both sides but sadly their stories are not developed and we're not really able to connect or fully understand their daily lives in the West Bank, which seems a real shame.
In terms of narrative, the story is mainly rolled along by seemingly 'left-wing' talking head academics with some segues from the narrator, with the Settler side portrayed largely by themselves. The problem with this is that it clearly sets up a kind of 'official narrative' vs 'crackpot narrative' type scenario which starts to detract from the documentary's credibility of balance. Also, while highlighting a few major events, it generally skims over the Palestinian hatred and violence towards the settlements and Israelis, which is obviously a key element to why the region is so troubled.
In conclusion, this French/Isreali production certainly gives a good general timeline of the story of settlements in the West Bank, but felt rushed even at its 2hr length, and seemingly designed more to get awards at European film festivals than give an honestly balanced view of an exceedingly complicated situation.
Though it did try.
