Original subtitles

Masha's olive trees are more than one thousand years old. They are as old as Masha itself. Masha is a Palestinian village only 25 kilometres from Tel Aviv. Today the village lies just inside the Wall Israel is building in the Palestinian West Bank.

Masha is the last village at the end of Phase A of the Wall. Phase A begins 160 kilometres north of Masha, and ends on a previously idyllic hill overlooking Tel Aviv.

90% of Masha's lands are now separated by the Wall. Construction of the Wall spelled the end of Masha's famous garden markets, and the end of income for many families. Bilingual signs in Arabic and Hebrew are all that remain from more prosperous times.

The Amer family lives on the edge of Masha. The family's house is located between the village of Masha and a Jewish settlement. During the construction of the Wall, the house was earmarked for demolition. But the family refused to leave. And so the Wall was built around the house, enclosing the family within.

During the construction of the Wall, two rooms of the Amer family's house were destroyed, along with the greenhouse and the chicken shed. A military road now runs through the family's property, where flowers once grew for sale in Masha's garden markets.

HANI AMER

MONIRA AMER

NIDAL AMER 20 years old

HISHAM AMER 16 years old

ASIA AMER 14 years old

ISHAK AMER 12 years old

MAISA AMER 6 years old

SHADDAD AMER 4 years old

The Israeli army has classified the Amer family's house as a Military Zone. Visitors are discouraged and cameras forbidden.

Hani Amer's arable land is now on the other side of the Wall. When Hani goes there by donkey, he travels less than four kilometres from the house. But when the rest of the family want to go to their land, they must travel 20 kilometres by road, through a military checkpoint. On days like these, Hani borrows a car...

Assistant Director MIRIAM DALU

Photographed and Edited by DAOUD SARHANDI

Hani Amer. 47 years old. Born: Masha, 1957.

Monira Amer. 39 years old. Born: Masha, 1964.

Associate Producer CAROLINA RIVAS

Produced by DAOUD SARHANDI

Directed by CAROLINA RIVAS

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

HANl: When I was a child, everyone worked this land. My life has always been tightly bound to the land. Today we are here, in our land separated by the Wall.

HANl: If all my family have lived off the land, what am I going to do without land? The earth sticks to my feet so that I won't abandon it. I love the land and the land loves me.

HANl: The bond with this land is in our blood, in our roots. Where do they want me to go? They can do what they want to me, kill me, it doesn't matter. But as long as I'm alive I'm going to defend my land and my home, with all my strength.

SUNDAY

HANl: It's like in a prison. We can't go out whenever we want. We have to wait until the soldiers open the gate. This situation can last hours, days or months.

Come on... get up.

Come on...

Guard!

Where are you going? I've been waiting here since six o'clock!

How long do I have to wait to get out?

Ten minutes!

We'll be back in ten minutes.

It's nearly 9 o'clock.

They could come in ten minutes or ten hours!

Let's see. Sit down.

Have they communicated with you yet?

- Maybe we should have a cup of tea. - Okay, I'll make some tea. With pleasure...

Where's the tea?

You want to be like them? Do I have to wait two hours for tea?

I'm coming...

I've been waiting three hours! When will I get to work?

And what time will I get home? They need to open the gate!

Answer the phone. And drink your tea.

Your telephone is hoarse from ringing!

Hello...

Good morning...

I've been waiting for them to open the gate since six this morning...

...and now it's 12 o'clock and they still haven't opened it!

A soldier came by at nine...

...and said he'd open the gate in ten minutes.

And I'm still waiting for him!

And I've been waiting three hours!

He asked me why I want to go out...

...and told me he'd be back in a minute.

We'll see each other later then... God willing.

You're welcome.

He says the land needs water.

I'm going outside to see what' s happening.

What will you do if they don't open the gate?

Let's see...

What will you do if you can't get water?

He called again. The land needs water.

- They're late! - More than ten minutes has passed, Hani.

- Ten! They're 30 or 40 minutes late! - I don't think they're coming.

What can I do? Jump over the Wall!

See what you can do...

HANl: One day an Israeli official came here. He said: "If you insist on staying in your house, I'm going to send one of our informers here who will set fire to a local Jewish settler's house, and I will say you did it. You will be accused of committing the crime, and you'll lose." I told him that we still would not move.

And so he threatened me: "We are going to incarcerate you here, like in a prison. And it will be worse, since in a prison there are guards with whom you can communicate. But here you can shout as loud as you like and nobody will respond. You will die of hunger."

MONDAY

MONDAY

ISHAK: I'm going to study to be a doctor because once my little brother had an accident and there was no one to heal his wounds. The gate was closed. I'm going to help people who, like us, live surrounded by the Wall.

ISHAK: I'm going to give my children the same education my parents have given me. I will teach them affection, morality, respect and patience.

Put it down.

Give it to me.

It's my turn.

Put it down and go and call Asia.

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the rest of Asia...

Stones!

- Where did they go? - Over there.

- Did you see them? - Yes, they went down there.

They must have gone. Let's go.

Come, come... there' s nobody there.

HANl: They've thrown stones at us many times. In the night the youths who live in the Jewish colony get together and throw stones at us. This goes on until 3:30 a.m.

MONIRA: We didn't have any problems with them before. It started after the Intifada. When I had the greenhouse my customers were all Jewish. When they came we would greet one another: "Shalom, shalom."

TUESDAY

ASIA: Since they built the Wall I'm very scared. I'm scared that I'll find the gate shut, that I'll call my mother and she won't hear me.

My country, my country...

My country, the land of my grandfathers...

My country, my nation, the nation of eternity...

With my determination, my fire and the volcano of my revenge...

With the longing of my blood for my land and my home...

I have scaled the mountains and fought the wars...

I have conquered the impossible and crossed the frontiers...

My country, my country...

My country, the land of my grandfathers...

My country, my nation, the nation of eternity.

Viva Palestine! Free and Arab!

Viva!

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Prayers and greetings to our Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him.

May Allah bless your day.

The school administrators...

...are going to give you...

...your daily programme.

But the best way...

...to start your day...

...is with the Koran.

We mustn't deposit toxic substances in public places...

...because they're going to be absorbed by the soil and plants...

...and they will intoxicate animals...

...and other living things...

ASIA: Every girl likes to receive visitors. But my friends are afraid of the soldiers. Now nobody comes to visit me.

ASIA: Young people in Palestine live like this. We can't go anywhere. Our families fear for our lives, because of the checkpoints and the soldiers.

WEDNESDAY

HISHAM: If I get married one day my wife will be from here, because a girl from here is going to defend the country alongside me.

As a student you have to be...

...responsible to your teachers and the director...

Grades 13, 14 and 15 are enough to satisfy your parents.

These grades will give them a good image of their children...

HISHAM: My mother is always at home, she can't go out. Many times I saw her sad because she has to defend the house alone.

Do you have permission to be here?

Press.

You know that you cannot be here?

- Can't be here? - No.

Why?

Because it's a military area.

We're making a film here... in the town.

- Okay... so you can be... - Outside the gates is okay?

No.

You can be something like...

...one hundred metres from here.

HISHAM: I think the worst affected is Shaddad. He's the littlest. If he gets too close to the Wall, they could shoot him. But he's a child and children like to go out, to see what's around.

THURSDAY

MONIRA: Maisa likes to study, she likes to compete. Shaddad is different. He prefers to be alone, to contemplate nature. He likes animals. One day he said to me: "You never take me places where there are lots of animals. I want to go there and sleep with them for a while."

Nidal!

Get up!

Children, did you say your evening prayers yesterday?

- Did you? Ishak? - Yeah.

Nidal...

Nidal. Get up!

Okay. Let's go...

Hani recites from the Koran...

My ears listen. My eyes see...

My head thinks. My hand writes...

And with my mouth and teeth I eat...

I am yours, Jerusalem...

I sacrifice myself for you...

Land of our grandfathers...

We will return.

Hassan has a toothbrush...

He cleans his teeth with it...

His teeth are like pearls...

I want to draw a wall. Give me the pen. Give it to me!

Which wall?

A wall. A wall.

But which wall?

A wall!

Pieces of stone, one on top of another.

Shaddad... come back here!

Come on count: one, two, three, four...

Good afternoon. Can you take this receipt to the other side?

Thanks.

She's coming!

MAISA: Yes, I love my house.

Mummy!

MONIRA: The only thing I can advise my children is to be patient. In this way they will be strong and resolute. Where can we go? There's no alternative.

MONIRA: Hani is very fond of children. When I had Maisa, it was obvious how happy he was. He radiated joy.

MONIRA: If there hadn't been checkpoints and barriers, our daughter Fairuz would have survived. Our son Jihad, who was born after Hisham, also died. When we are asked how many children we have we always say eight. Because we count the dead children too.

FRIDAY...

...the first day in four years that the whole family could go somewhere special. The road to Qalqiliya was open...

NIDAL: To be a child in Palestine is a little difficult. But, on the other hand, we learn to do many things. We learn from the difficulties.

Call her! Call Rutti. Tell her to come.

Look... Shaddad's coming with Nidal.

Call the giraffe so that Maisa can ride her.

Rutti.

Rutti.

- She's coming! Hurry up! - Shaddad!

Come on... let's give her something to eat.

- Me! Me! Lift me up! - Come on.

Maisa, be careful!

MONIRA: Was the giraffe big or small? SHADDAD: Small. MONIRA: Who picked you up so that you could feed her? SHADDAD: Nidal. MONIRA: Did you like the zoo? SHADDAD: He died. MONIRA: Who? SHADDAD: The giraffe. The soldiers shot him.

During the Intifada, Israeli soldiers attacked Qalqiliya. Some bullets hit the zoo, close to where the giraffes are housed. The frightened male giraffe ran around his pen, struck his head on a post and died. His mate, Rutti the giraffe, cried for three weeks, refused to eat and aborted her calf. The vet working at the zoo preserved both giraffes.

I am like a blue flower... The colour of the sky...

I am like a red flower...

The colour of my cheeks...

I am like a white flower...

The colour of milk...

I am like a yellow flower...

The colour of lemons...

I am like a green flower...

The colour of olives.

SATURDAY

On the eighth day, Masha was shaken by a storm. The family wanted to return to their land, but had to wait for the storm to pass.

Hani Amer

Monira Amer

Nidal Amer

Hisham Amer

Asia Amer

Ishak Amer

Maisa Amer

Shaddad Amer

Old Man on the Land Muhammad Amer, Hani's father

Girl in Asia's Class Yasmine Saher Ahmed

Young Woman in Hisham's Class Ghada Ghaleb Farah Saleh