Budrus

Synopsis

Budrus is the gripping story of one man’s attempt, through 10 months of peaceful protest, to protect his agricultural Palestinian village from being arbitrarily divided by an Israeli government-built barrier. AyedMorrar quit his comfortable job at the Palestinian Authority when he learned about the government’s plan to butcher his beloved Budrus and its olive groves. As Morrar launches his campaign of Gandhian-style protests, we meet his daughter, who at 15 challenges her father by launching a women’s contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. Other characters include an Israeli mathematics professor who begins as a reluctant bystander but soon transforms into an activist; Yasmine Levi, the only female officer on duty who confronts the Palestinian women, at times using brute force; and Ahmed Awwad, a Hamas leader who speaks of the importance of people coming together without arms. Will Morrar’s strategy of non-violence be enough to stop the bulldozers?

Director Biography

A New York-based Brazilian filmmaker of Lebanese origin whose documentaries focus on the Middle East. Her documentaries have been broadcast on the BBC, HBO, Sundance, CBC, and Al Arabiya television channels. Julia is also Senior Producer and Media Director at Just Vision, a non-profit organization that informs local & international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli civilian efforts to resolve the conflict nonviolently.