The aftermath of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is at the center of renowned Israeli director Amos Gitai’s latest feature. Revisiting the same occupied soil depicted in his 1982 film Field Diary, Gitai explores the lives of civilians on both sides, many of whom are hopeful of one day achieving harmony despite global media coverage offering a decidedly terse view. Acting as an unwavering observer of the current state of the land, Gitai appears and reappears in front of the camera, the documentary hopping from 1994 to the present as Gitai serves as an “archeologist” of the Israeli–Palestinian negotiations. With interviews from politicians and civilians alike, a determined Gitai converses with his subjects on equal footing, listening and asking questions in the same breath. With Gitai at the helm, the film stays on neutral ground, preferring to showcase the variety of human efforts for a peaceful coexistence.
Amos Gitai is an Israeli director whose work spans over three decades of cinema and includes over 90 works of cinema. His films have screened around the globe and been shown in museums such as the Lincoln center and MoMA. West of Jordan River (’17) is his latest film.