5 Broken Cameras is the chronicle of the filmmaker's life in a small Palestinian village. The director, over the course of several years, documents the demonstrations of the village against Israeli construction and military forces threatening their way of life.
The found footage documentary "“ and rest assured, this is one "“ depends wholly on said footage and whether or not it makes for compelling viewing. 5 Broken Cameras does reach that point occasionally, but so much of the film is spent watching the Palestinians march through the streets and then get bombarded with tear gas... over and over and over again. Unfortunately, it's not long before these images desensitize us and the real-world drama feels trivialized. There's a lot of talking (much of the film is in voice-over), but the film reads like a boring college lecture "“ it's tedious, monotonous and again seems to trivialize the on-screen action.
5 Broken Cameras is a bold project and certainly deserves respect for bringing cameras where they're not allowed, but a great film it is just not.
5 Broken Cameras is competing in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.
