Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Widescreen
Colour: Colour
Sound: Mono
Tech Notes: Mono
Synopsis
An observational documentary following Musa Hadid, the mayor of Ramallah (who happens also to be a Christian) over a period of about 6 months from Christmas when Trump announces he is moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, through the opening of the embassy which provokes riots and Israeli terrorism across Palestine, and the continuing Israeli army insurgency.
Through all this Musa continues to do the best he can to run a modern city and improve life for residents - not easy when the occupying army refuses to let you build a cemetery or sewage works and generally makes life difficult.
Reviews
by rogerco on Sat 8th May 2021 Streamed proj @ home (Subtitled)
What a brilliant Mayor
Summary
Exemplary local politician - overcoming extraordinary difficulties to run a city under an occupying hostile force with good grace and a very hands-on approach.Full review
This is a documentary that doesn't take an explicit stance towards its subject, rather it sits back and lets us observe what is going on and reach our own conclusions.
Two big surprises for me - one was to see Ramallah as very much a modern city, and very multi-cultural. And secondly to see in practice that there is a thriving Christian community in Palestine, and the elected mayor is a himself a Christian. It is far from all about towel-headed hot-heads and burnt out buildings.
Musa comes across as a charming and dedicated public servant. The wider politics underpins everything even as he is dealing with random fires and sewage leaks - Palestine is a virtual state imprisoned by an apartheid regime, and Ramallah is a city that is surrounded by illegal foreign settlers who have stolen the land under protection of the occupying force; an occupying force that regularly enters the city uninvited to spread terror and disruption.
He was very clear in his exposition to a visiting German Parliamentary delegation as to exactly why it as not yet appropriate for them to try and promote grass-roots contact between the conflicted communities. Prince William's visit went much better, although the Palestinians well recognised that the English Royal Family doesn't do politics - so what's the point!
Overall this was a very welcome different look at life in Palestine, and should be widely seen as it helps build an understanding of the terrible nature of the illegal Israeli actions.