Films A-Z
Kalandia - A Checkpoint Story
Kalandia Sipuro Shel Machsom
Neta Efrony / Israel / 2008 / 60 min.
In 2001, using a small sentry box and a few bags of sand, a temporary Israeli Army checkpoint was established in north Jerusalem in response to the security threat there. Anyone who wants to get to the eastern part of the city has to pass through it. While doing this was simply a formality at first, it has become a nightmare over time. After seven years, a huge terminal now stands in the same place and is not unlike the border crossings from the time of the Iron Curtain. Every day, hundreds of men, women and children must stand for hours in endless lines, and even then they cannot be certain that they will be allowed to cross to the other side. Human dignity goes out the window in the crowd while frustration, anger and hatred mount. From January 2002, the Israeli documentary-maker Neta Efrony began filming daily events at the checkpoint over a period of several years. This has resulted in an almost incredible story about ordinary people who want nothing other than to be able to live their lives being confronted with a new border.
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