Checkpoint; director: Yoav Shamir, Israel, 2003, 80 min., Beta SP; Color, Hebrew/Arabic/English with subtitles.  To be presented at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at the AMC Theatre in La Jolla as part of the San Diego Jewish Film Festival.  (See Festival schedule)

Reviewed by Norman Greene

By the time you have sat through 80 minutes of Director Yoav Shamir’s award-winning film Checkpoint, you may have a better understanding of why Palestinians—young and old— hate the Israelis.

Eighty minutes of scenes from various checkpoints photographed in the rain, in the snow, in the heat and in the cold of night, is not a pleasant experience. Imagine living through it.

Viewers may feel that they were with the camera crew for the entire two years (2001-03) it took to film this movie. That is precisely what this Israeli director wants his audiences to experience in this Israeli made film. Although it is not stated anywhere in this movie, one can only think of Golda Meir’s greatest fear. She feared what being forced to be occupiers would do to the Israelis.

The movie makes no effort to offer rationale for the Israeli actions. Some of the soldiers are far less than sympathetic. Some seem to be bullies. Others are just brash young boys with too much power and too little sensitivity training. Some are just cold.

Many of the Arabs seeking to cross through the barriers are obviously liars and con-artists. The camera has captured their emotion. You can see it in their eyes, hear it their voices and feel it in their body movements. The intensity of the experience provided by Checkpoint is palpable.

Will you like the Israeli Border Patrol soldiers any more for the experience? Probably not. Will you understand the why’s and wherefor’s of their actions? Probably not. But will you understand any better the sense of humiliation felt by the Arabs? Absolutely!

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