The Gatekeepers (2013)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

In 2010, Shireen was stopped at a checkpoint in Jerusalem and asked for her ID."I gave the Israeli soldier my ID. He said that I couldn't pass and have to take a detour. I asked for directions. He screamed suddenly and told me I was under arrest for three hours. They put me inside a small room near the checkpoint with large windows. Later a jeep came and they transferred me to a Jabal al-Mukaber police station. Someone identified himself as an officer. He didn't mention his name. No charges were mentioned. Only that I'll be transferred to Talpiot police station.In Talpiot they interrogated me and accused me of owning a knife, which I didn't. I was under arrest for 24 hours and would be transferred to Maskobiyeh Detention Center. They handcuffed and blindfolded me. Later on, I realised I was in an interrogation room. They removed the blindfold. An interrogator said: 'Welcome, we've been expecting you for a long time.' They confined me in a cell. Soldiers came later and told me I'm going to court which was comforting. I knew if I meet a judge I will be released. I did nothing wrong. They took me blindfolded through long corridors. I heard Palestinian detainees calling upon me to remain strong. I was confused. What do they mean? Was I not leaving?I was alone in the cell, which I believe was underground. I had to go down a very long staircase to reach it. It was very small to fit a person. It had a pit-toilet and a sleeping mat. The smell was horrible. The walls were grey and made out of pointed stones. I hurt myself several times trying to support my back or head. The orange lights were kept lit all day. The AC was mostly on with full power. I felt like I was in a fridge. My whole body turned blue from the excess chill. The iron door had a small slot they used to talk to me. They switched me between two cells. I knew that because the door location changed. Sometimes they'd get me to a new cell with the lights off. I couldn't even see my own hand there. So, when I approached the door or the pit-toilet, I end up hitting the wall. Only then did I know they switched the cell. They made my meetings with the lawyer difficult. They'd make him wait for hours falsely claiming I'm being interrogated. Other times they claimed I refused to meet him without informing me. They left me alone while the lawyer was waiting elsewhere. They'd intentionally sit very close to me. They almost stick their mouth to my ear and shout loud. One day the interrogator unchained me and approached. His face was almost glued to mine. I asked him to give me my space. But he told me: 'We're the ones who decide here. You have no personal space. Who do you think you are?'I pushed him away. Other interrogators rushed in and started shouting. They hit me, tied my hands and legs and blindfolded me, repeatedly dragging me on the floor and slamming me against the wall. They chained me with a leash and said: 'I dealt with the likes of you before. You're rubbish. You're worthless.'During interrogation I asked for a Quran, a book, a pen. Anything to feel alive. I said I'm on strike until I get my demands. When I finally got the chance to buy a pen, I was so happy. I felt like a kid on New Year. I started to write down everything I experienced. I wrote about finally buying a shampoo to use in my cell. I described to my mum the scarce smell of hygiene. Being a girl in the interrogation, they know honour and reputation is something we highly value. So, they use it against us. They threatened to rape me. A colonel once came to me in the later stages and called me nasty names. He gave details on sexual positions, and that he'd bring his dog to do those things to me. As if to say we are worthless, not human. That we're worthy of dogs.The detention with all its horrors had a positive side. It allowed me to experience things that detainees may hide. If I go back to being a lawyer or working with children, the cases won't be rumours I merely hear about. I lived through it."

I already knew the bare outlines of Israeli politics and modern Israel's history from reading news magazines over years and from history class-- but this goes quite a bit into detail of several crucial events with archival footage of the various house bombings, assassinations, bus suicide bombings, and street riots superimposed over the words of the leaders of Shin Bet itself-- getting all their own words in actual interviews is an incredible accomplishment if you think about it. There have only been six leaders of this Israeli national security force in Modern Israel's history. All six spoke candidly to interviewers here. While at first I thought the film was starting to get very detailed and even long winded, this misgiving vanished as more unfolds and footage is shown of families being raided in the night-- arrests made, bomb victim human beings-- the movie zeroes in on its focus and holds it laser-beam tight. By the last half hour I found the focus of the documentary powerful, artfully and factually describing as skilled editing of images is seen and interviews heard I can't think of a more powerful documentary I've seen, really. The head of Shin Bet is something like the head of the US's CIA and FBI rolled into one-- and clearly they are very powerful commanders who make life and death decisions which effect people directly. - the movie subtly examines both the morality and the effectiveness of both tactical and strategic strikes on the opposition to Israel's government and statehood--zeroing in on internal Israeli and West Bank events rather than anti-Israel sentiment in the larger Arab world. The film is brilliantly directed.

A very brutally honest documentary about the conflict in Palestine. Ex-chiefs of Israeli intelligence, Shin Bet, come out openly about their operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Interestingly, these top Israeli security officials openly accept the reality of how Israel has been brutally occupying the Palestinian people for decades. Moreover, they talk about their decisions which led to the killings of numerous innocent people. They talk about how Israel dropped a one-ton bomb in the middle of crowded housing area, which resulted in many innocent deaths and 14 children under the age of 15 were burnt alive.Lastly, these officials also accept that the responsibility of not having peace in the region lies on extremist elements within the Israeli state that do not want any peaceful settlement of the conflict.All in all, it is amazing to see that these top security officials come out in open and talk about all the things in such honest manner.In the end, they wish that a settlement to the conflict is reached and Palestinians are given their due rights--but they remain cynical. One of the former heads of Shin Bet says in the end "Israel acts like German occupation forces acted during World War 2. It is heartbreaking to see, but it is the reality"

Well each of these men who are of different ages and having served at different times finally came to realize that the Palestinians might actually have a legitimate case for their fury wasn't just surprising, but shocking. This is ultimately why "The Gatekeepers" Rules. This movie reveals things aren't what they seem and most certainly aren't black and white. Assuming you care about the future and what is perhaps the most important area of dispute in the world, this is a movie that you'll be thinking about long after you've departed the theater. Unfortunately, few people will get that chance. Few people care enough to go see a documentary about anything these days. Why try and educate ourselves about the past and current events when instead we can waste more time ignoring history. But this is a movie made for everyone, it doesn't fall short but gets very little points on style. But it sure defies expectations. One can only wish the right people will see it and come out as flabbergasted as I did.