video: "fire in balata camp"

2007-06-27

on tuesday night (june 26th) israeli military vehicles stormed balata refugee camp near nablus, opened random fire and terrorized hundreds of residents who were out in the streets seeking relief after another scorching hot day in the west bank. terrified refugees fled to their houses for safety but israeli military vehicles sealed off streets and neighborhoods. some shops and offices were left open as their owners ran out in panic after the sudden invasion. blasting orders over loudspeakers, the army forced residents out their homes and made them take off their clothes. the troops fired randomly at buildings in the area and set a local restaurant on fire. no casualties were reported. the operation ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning lasting over seven hours. here´s a short clip produced by the research journalism initiative covering the invasion.

video: "balata camp incursion"

2007-05-25

[de]
on may 24, the israeli occupation forces stormed balata refugee camp in nablus (palestine).

here's a short clip from this military operation produced by the research journalism initiative.



this short video can be downloaded in better quality here and here.

video: "kids used as human shields"

2007-04-11

[de]
in a military operation taking place in balata refugee camp (nablus, occupied palestine), israeli occupation troops forced two youngsters to serve as human shields.

a filmmaker from the research journalism initiative, who is close to a-films, caught the scene and other shots of the military operation and home demolition on tape.



click here and here to download the clip in full quality.

video: "nightlife in balata camp"

2007-03-18

for four consecutive nights, the israeli occupation forces have invaded balata refugee camp on the outskirts of nablus (palestine). they drove up and down the camp, threw percussion grenades and fired randomly at residents' homes.
this is not a new habit of the israely army, but something they've kept doing for many years already. it's important to note that this is not an exception, but normality in balata refugee camp.
this short clip was made by close friends of a-films, the research journalism initiative.



click here to download the clip in full quality.

video: "operation hot winter"

2007-02-25

[de] [fr]
on february 25 2007, the israeli occupation forces invaded the west bank city of nablus with massive forces. the army focussed their operation especially on the yasmine and qariyon neighborhoods in the old city. during the four days that the assault lasted, tens of thousands of people were confined to their homes. the israeli military raided dozens of houses, detaining and arresting scores of people. it abused journalists and aid workers and even used palestinian civilians as "human shields". the occupation forces killed one person and injured dozens. this military operation was one of the biggest of its kind in the last two or three years that happened in nablus.
during the operation, activists from the research journalism initiative and from a-films kept producing short video reports on what happened on the ground. here you can watch our clips from day 1, day 2 and day 4 of the operation as well as an interview with a girl that was used as a human shield and the injured son of a shahid.

day 1


day 2


day 4


interview 1


interview 2


click here to download full quality versions of day 1, day 2, day 4, interview 1 and interview 2.

video: "the alley"

2007-02-11

[de] [es] [it] [fr]
this film was made in balata refugee camp near nablus, palestine. it's supposed to provide the viewers with some impressions of the current economic situation people are suffering from.

the clip is the result of a collaboration of activists from the research journalism initiative and from a-films.

part 1


part 2


The film can here and here be downloaded in full length and better quality.

video: "ma´jeen operation"

2007-01-25

[de]
on 25th of january 2007, the israeli occupation forces once more stormed nablus in an effort to arrest wanted residents. here's some footage of this assault.

video: "qisariyye operation"

2007-01-18

[de]
on 18th of january 2007, the israeli occupation forces entered nablus with dozens of jeeps, surrounding a building in al-qisariyye area at the edge of the old city. one resistance fighter got shot dead in the operation, a 15-year old was shot in the eye.

balata film collective

2007-05-30

in 2004 and 2005, a group of activists (among them a-films people) in balata refugee camp in nablus (palestine) formed a video collective to enable young palestinians from balata to break their isolation, challenge their oppression and and represent their lives to the world. workshops in independent media were held and about a dozen short clips were produced. so far some of these videos are available on the film group´s youtube account:

shadows of occupation
camp children prepare a shadow puppet theatre production as part of balatacamp.net activities. during the performance, the characters of their imagination move from the screen onto the streets of balata. here´s the short clip:



elections under occupation
palestinians from balata camp speak out about the elections for the palestinian authority on january 9th, 2005. the short clip includes interviews with representatives of various organisations, as well as people on the streets.
click here to watch the video.

election furore in balata camp
the balatacamp.net girl journalists hit the streets during voting to see what camp residents really think.
watch the clip here.

akoub - the challenge
the vegetable akoub plays an important role in both palestinian identity and cooking. this short clip describes how israeli checkpoints, settlements and military bases are making it an increasingly difficult and dangerous ingredient to gather. market vendors, vegetable dealers and palestinian grandmothers explain how even a simple vegetable has been forced to join the ranks of the resistance.
the akoub-film can be watched here.

palestinian embroidery under occupation
palestinian embroidery is a hidden form of resistance to israeli attempts at economic, social and political subjugation. women's embroidery is one of few means of economic independence, neither dependent on israeli contractors or its market. embroidery is also a powerful means of expressing identity and making a connection with the palestinian past prior to expulsion.
watch the short video here.

women in death castles
a high proportion of palestinian women prisoners in israeli occupation prisons are from the nablus region. in this film, recently released women from balata and nablus speak out about their pain and struggle while imprisoned. testimonies describe interrogation, physical and mental torture, loneliness. the video inccludes interviews with ex-prisoners, children of current prisoners and officials from the prisoners society.
click here to watch this film.

grass doesn´t grow in the camp
after 20 years in israeli prison, balata resident meqdad khatib is released. his newly-wed wife pregnant when he was arrested, meqdad had never seen his son mahmoud until he was also imprisoned. finally the family is to be reunited. however, mahmoud was killed by the israeli army in 2006.
the balatacamp.net girl journalist team go along to the checkpoint and meqdad's house to check things out. along the way they come across israeli jeeps, praise-singing grandmothers and fields of green grass.
this joyful video can be watched here.

memories of the nakbe
rarely seen archival photographs alongside palestinian survivors remembering the 1948 'nakbe' (catastrophe), describing the expulsion from their land on which the suburbs of tel aviv have since been built and their subsequent struggles as refugees. memories include the terror immediately prior to fleeing, the slow realisation that they would not be returning home soon, the struggle to rebuild their lives in cramped refugee camps, and the increased resistance that grew once the Israeli military pursued them to the refugee camps.
click here to watch this clip.

birds of revolution besieged in balata camp
the schoolchildren of balata camp face up to israeli military force. as jeeps attempt to invade and enforce curfew, the children make clear that they won't submit.
here is the short film.

children of the stones
the children of palestine lead a childhood of oppression, struggle and isolation. faced with daily israeli military invasions, the short moments of relative quiet and safety take on unexpected importance and beauty. children of the stones opens up a snapshot of the daily lives of palestinian children.
this short video can be watched here.

for more information and videos from the balata film collective as well as for other ressources from the balata camp community projects, check out its webpage.

video: "invasion in balata camp"

2007-05-25

[en]
am 24. mai 2007 stürmte die israelische besatzungsarmee einmal mehr das flüchtlingslager balata in nablus. sie verhaftete mehrere personen. hier ein kurzes, von der research journalism initiative produziertes und von a-films bearbeitetes und übersetztes video zur militäroperation.



der clip kann hier heruntergeladen werden.

video: "jugendliche als schutzschilde missbraucht"

2007-04-11

[en]
in einer militäroperation nahe des flüchtlingslagers balata (nablus, besetztes palästina) am 11. april 2007 zwangen israelische soldaten zwei jugendliche, ihnen als menschliche schutzschilder zu dienen. ein video-aktivist von der research journalism initiative, der a-films nahe steht, filmte diese und weitere szenen der militäroperation.



der clip steht hier zum download bereit.

video: "operation heisser winter"

2007-02-25

[en] [fr]
am 25. februar 2007 drangen die israelischen besatzungstruppen in der stadt nablus in der nördlichen west bank ein. die armee fokussierte ihre operation speziell auf das yasmine- und das qariyon-quartier in der altstadt. während des viertägigen angriffes waren zehntausende menschen in ihren häusern eingeschlossen, die israelische armee stürmte dutzende häuser und verhaftete unzählige menschen. sie misshandelte journalisten und sanitäter und benutzte sogar palästinensische zivilisten als menschliche schutzschilde. die besatzungstruppen töteten eine person und verletzten dutzende weitere. diese militäroperation war eine der grössten ihrer art in nablus seit zwei, drei jahren.
während der operation produzierten aktivisten von research journalism initiative und von a-films täglich kurze videoreporte von den geschehnissen. hier können die clips vom 1. tag, vom 2. tag und vom 4. tag der operation und ein interview mit einem mädchen, welches als schutzschild benutzt wurde und dem verletzten sohn des shahids 'anan al-tibi angeschaut werden.

1. tag


2. tag


4. tag


interview 1


interview 2


hier sind qualitativ bessere versionen vom 1. tag, vom 2. tag, vom 4. tag, vom interview mit jihan und vom interview mit ashraf verfügbar.

video: "il vicolo"

2007-02-11

[en] [de] [es] [fr]
il film presenta gli aspetti dell'attuale situazione politica ed economica del campo rifugiati balata a nablus (palestina). fornisce allo spettatore sguardi e voci di questa comunità così duramente colpita. il film comincia mostrando i venditori di verdura e altri residenti in balata e si conclude in un negozio di dolci ai confini del campo; mostra una forma di occupazione a cui palestinesi sono obbligati a causa dell'occupazione israeliana.
questo film è una produzione congiunta tra a-films e research journalism initiative ed é stato girato nel febbraio 2007.

parte 1


parte 2


questo breve documentario può essere scaricato in piena qualità e durata qui e su indymedia.

video: "die gasse"

2007-02-11

[en] [es] [it] [fr]
dieser film behandelt aspekte der gegenwärtigen politischen ökonomie des flüchtlingslagers balata in nablus. er versorgt den/die zuschauerIn mit impressionen und stimmen aus dieser von der besatzung besonders hart getroffenen gemeinschaft. der doku beginnt mit gemüsehändlern und einwohnerInnen des camps und endet in einem sweatshop am rande des camps. letztere station veranschaulicht ein arbeitsverhältnis, in das viele palästinenserInnen durch die bedingungen des lebens unter israelischer besatzung gezwungen werden.
der kurzfilm ist das resultat der zusammenarbeit von aktivisten der research journalism initiative und von a-films.

teil 1


teil 2


der kurzdoku kann in bester qualität und voller länge hier und hier heruntergeladen werden.

video: "el callejón"

2007-02-11

[en] [de] [it] [fr]
esta película retrata la actual situación económica del campamento de refugiados de balata en nablus. esta película permite hacerse una idea de las difíciles condiciones que tiene que enfrentar la comunidad. comenzando con vendedores de verduras y otros habitantes de balata, la película termina en una "fábrica de explotación" en la periferia del campamento, donde se da cuenta de una forma de trabajo que muchos palestinos se ven obligados a ejercer debido a las condiciones económicas creadas por la ocupación israelí.
esta película es una producción conjunta entre a-films y research journalism initiative, realizada en febrero de 2007.

parte 1


parte 2


el documental puede ser descargado en su versión de alta calidad aquí y en indymedia.

video: "ma´jin-operation"

2007-01-25

[en]
am frühen morgen des 25. januar 2007 drang ein konvoi israelischer armeefahrzeuge in nablus ein. die besatzungstruppen umstellten ein haus im ma'jin-quartier und verhafteten zwei personen. hier ist ein video dieser militäroperation.

video: "qisariyye-operation"

2007-01-18

[en]
in der nacht auf den 18. januar 2007 drang die israelische besatzungsarmee ein weiteres mal nach nablus ein, um einige einwohnerInnen zu verhaften. bei der militäroperation starb ein widerstandskämpfer, einem jungen schoss ein israelischer soldat ins auge. hier ein kurzer clip dazu.