Saba Imtiaz: Everyday is a winding road..

It delves into Zionist beliefs, coupled by how successive Israeli governments have used the policy of settlement building to strengthen their presence throughout Occupied Palestine, and to cement those settlements, have built - what is indeed an iron wall - to fence off those settlements from the Palestinian villages. They cut through viable agricultural land, houses, water sources - and in the opinion of the experts interviewed for the film, is not a security measure, but the last bolt in the coffin of a dream of a Palestine free from occupation. Coupled with heart rending stories - of families clutching their olive trees and crying desperately in a vain attempt to prevent Israeli bulldozers.

The documentary includes testimonials of Israeli soldiers of how Palestinian towns in the West Bank are virtually under a siege from extremist settlers who believe that all of the land mentioned in the Bible is theirs for the taking, replete with scenes of places that are ghost towns because of the constant state of curfew and violence. Pieced in with this havoc, are quotes from an Israeli woman who, like hundreds of other Israeli families are heavily incentivized by the government to move to the new housing areas. The guilt rings out in her voice as she feels trapped between the luxurious setting of the new housing areas, and the realization that she is living on someone else’s land.

Occupation 101, on the other hand, while focusing on the same issues, is specifically geared to an American audience, which, using the same testimonials and settlement issues as The Iron Wall, also presents an overview of how, despite the Oslo Peace Process continuing in the 1990s, the settlements and violence increased. It also provides an insight into how the US Government has supported Israel financially since the creation of the state, comparing it with US aid given to developing countries.

Occupation 101 also delves into the conditions in Gaza, which few media outlets have been able to gain access to or covered, highlighting the story of an American citizen who was killed in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah. While the documentary has received accolades at various film festivals in the US, it remains to be seen what the impact of a documentary such as this has had, given how one-sided news coverage from the Middle East appears to be.

It is commendable of the gallery to screen the documentaries - but these stories are meant for a wider audience, for an audience in a country that is not a stone’s throw away from Occupied Palestine and Israel, but for those that are completely unaware to the nature of the conflict and what this means to the daily life of Israelis and Palestinians who live in this state, day in and day out.

- For The News on Sunday.