Amdocs 2019 – One Word: Occupation
Occupation is the Palestinian tragedy, but it is also Israel's present. We must liberate both people from the occupation.
Interview with Director/Producer/Editor Nejemye Tenenbaum
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I think it is imperative to show audiences, mostly in the West, what perils and devastation Israel's military Occupation brings to both Palestinians as well as Israelis.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I believe most audiences have been misinformed and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. People must see the reality as it is and understand the harm this occupation is causing to both peoples. As well, audiences must know that separation into two states, one Palestinian and one Jewish is the only viable solution to this conflict. If audiences are aware of this information, perhaps more pressure can be put on leaders on both sides.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I believe that a film should start at the personal and move towards the universal. One Word: Occupation deals with one particular situation in the Middle East but the idea of intolerance and oppressing other people is as ancient as the creation of man, so perhaps this film can foster reflexion in the universal theme of oppression, of this particular one as well as others.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Since it is a documentary, we rarely use scripts but the interviewee's words and ideas. We wanted to go right on to the subject matter and talk about the occupation. In the first cuts, there were sequences that explained how it all started but we thought it was unnecessary so we took out seven minutes and went straight into the theme of the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Mostly positive. I have people telling me that every Jewish and Israeli person should watch the film. I have also heard people wanting to hear more voices but the idea from the beginning was to show the mind of Gershon Baskin, one of the leading social activists in this conflict.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
No, I accepted both the positive and the negative. I understand and respect both types of feedback.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would like the film to be seen by as many people as possible; buyers, distributors, TV companies, festival directors, etc. It is paramount to show this side of the narrative which is rarely seen in films. In this manner we can foster reflexion in people so they can juggle with the "truth" they have been told and hopefully transform their ideas into a real understanding of the conflict.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anyone interested in showing the film: Festivals, TV, cable, VOD, campuses, etc. Therefore sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists are all welcome to see watch the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We would like people to see the reality. We don't care for prices and awards, but for people to know the reality which every day Palestinians and Israelis endure.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can peace be achieved? Do the Palestinians truly recognize Israel? Can Israel stop building settlements?
Would you like to add anything else?
We hope this film can be seen in as many windows and venues as possible. This is our goal.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am trying to raise money to shoot a fiction film that deals with an honest Ministerial Agent in Mexico City who wants to catch a gang of skilled kidnappers.
Interview: April 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
One Word: Occupation
Occupation is the Palestinian tragedy, but it is also Israel's present. We must liberate both people from the occupation.
Length: 23:10
Director: Nejemye Tenenbaum
Producer: Nejemye Tenenbaum
Writer: Nejemye Tenenbaum
About the writer, director and producer:
NEJEMYE TENENBAUM graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has worked as a cameraman for Israeli Television, shot more than thirty testimonies for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Foundation and later directed or shot more than a hundred documentaries for his company Documentalia Films, amongst them the permanent exhibition of Holocaust Museum in Mexico City. He directed The Third Place in 2015 and One Word: Occupation in 2019.
Key cast: Gershon Baskin
Looking for: distributors, sales agents, film festival directors, buyers
Hashtags used: #Israel #Palestine #military occupation #war #Jewish #Zionism