Poster for the movie Gaza Ghetto

Gaza Ghetto

1985 • 85 minutes
Documentary

Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Family, 1948 – 1984 is a documentary film about the life of a Palestinian family living in the Jabalia refugee camp. The film, created by Joan Mandell, Pea Holmquist, and Pierre Bjorklund in 1984 is believed to be the first documentary ever made in Gaza. The film features Ariel Sharon, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and soldiers on patrol "candidly discuss[ing] their responsibilities." The film follows a refugee family from the Gaza Strip who visit the site of their former village, now a Jewish town in Israel. As the grandfather and great-grandfather point out an orchard and sycamore fig that belonged to Muhammed Ayyub and Uncle Khalil, an Israeli resident appears and tells them to leave, claiming they need a permit to be there. The mother tells him that, "We work in Jaffa and Tel Aviv and that's not forbidden," to which he replies, "Here it's forbidden."

Picture of Binyamin Ben Eliezer

Binyamin Ben Eliezer

Himself

Picture of Yitzhak Rabin

Yitzhak Rabin

Himself

Picture of Reuven Rozenblat

Reuven Rozenblat

Himself

Picture of Ariel Sharon

Ariel Sharon

Himself