Photo by Vadim Berg on Unsplash
Must Watch Documentaries
Introduction to the Film Collection
This collection brings together over fifty films — feature documentaries, shorts, and narrative works — that illuminate the history, daily realities, and human stories at the heart of Palestine, Gaza, and the broader Middle East. Spanning decades of filmmaking, from the early 1970s to the present day, the works reflect the perspectives of Palestinians, Israelis, and international voices committed to truth-telling, memory, and justice.
The films in this list move fluidly between the personal and the political. Some, like Born in Gaza, Gaza, and Tears of Gaza, offer intimate portraits of life under siege, following children and families as they navigate trauma and resilience. Others, such as 5 Broken Cameras and Budrus, document grassroots, nonviolent resistance movements that bridge divides and challenge systems of oppression.
Historical documentaries like Tantura, 1948: Creation & Catastrophe, and Occupied Palestine examine the events of the Nakba, the depopulation of Palestinian villages, and the contested narratives that shape Israeli and Palestinian identities. Narrative features such as Farha, 200 Meters, and The Present dramatize personal stories that carry the weight of broader political realities.
Several films — Disturbing the Peace, Encounter Point, and Israel vs Israel — explore the voices of Israelis who oppose occupation, seek peace, and work alongside Palestinians for justice. Others, like The Occupation of the American Mind and Occupation 101, turn their lens outward to examine media narratives, U.S. foreign policy, and the global dimensions of the conflict.
Together, these works represent a powerful archive of witness, testimony, and artistic expression. They challenge viewers to confront uncomfortable truths, to see beyond statistics and headlines, and to hear the voices too often silenced. They also reveal moments of joy, connection, and creativity, affirming that even in the most difficult circumstances, human dignity and hope endure.
Whether you are new to these issues or deeply familiar, this collection offers both an education and an invitation — to reflect, to question, and to imagine a future where justice and compassion prevail.
***
I Shall Not Hate (2024): 95 minutes.
From Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp, to the University of Toronto and the Supreme Court of Israel, I Shall Not Hate follows the uncharted path of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, the first Palestinian doctor that worked in an Israeli hospital delivering babies, whose ethos of forgiveness and reconciliation is put to the ultimate test when an Israeli tank bombs his house, killing his three daughters. Against all odds, he turns his tragedy into a global campaign to eradicate hate.
*****
Co-existence My Ass (2025): 95 minutes.
This documentary follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates a comedy show by the same name. Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s personal, professional, and political journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration.
Raised in a bilingual Israeli-Palestinian village — the only intentionally integrated community in the country — Noam grows disillusioned with traditional peace activism. She pivots to stand-up and quickly attracts attention across the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her falls apart. With biting satire, Noam pushes her audiences to face difficult truths that aren't always funny but do remind us that another reality is possible.
*****
Disturbing the Peace (2016): 87 minutes.
The film introduces members of Combatants for Peace, (Combatants for Peace) an activist group of former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who have renounced violence against the enemy after years of participating in it and instead advocate for a two-state solution It first gives a brief history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict since Israel's founding in 1948.
Through interviews, historical footage, and reenactments, the viewer learns of each side's personal traumas and how members came to see the humanity in the other.
Combatants, including former Israeli soldiers Chen Alon and Avner Wishnitzer and former Palestinian fighters Sulaiman Khatib and Jamil Qassas, share their family histories and personal experiences linked to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Another subject, Shifa al-Qudsi, recalled the grief she felt over the destruction of her home in Tulkarm, which ultimately led her to attempt a suicide bombing in Netanya as an act of vengeance for Palestinians killed by the Israel Defense Forces.
The film creates a balance between the different narratives, and the film's website provides a discussion guide for having conversations about the film.
*****
There is Another Way (2025): 67 minutes.
In the midst of darkness, we discover who we truly are. There is Another Way tells the story of a group of visionaries who refuse to surrender to violence and injustice, and in doing so show that another path is possible - for them, for us, and for all humanity.
As we are all faced with essential questions about who we are, will we choose collective liberation, where the needs, rights, and safety of all are prioritized - in which our humanity comes first, knowing that no one is free until everyone is free.
Combatants for Peace, (www.cfpeace.org/ )nominated for two Nobel Peace Prizes, is an extraordinary bi-national group of former enemy combatants - Israelis and Palestinians - working together during an ongoing armed conflict. Faced with the devastation and escalating violence of October 7th and the war in Gaza, the very core of the movement must face great challenges and show that there is another way. The first question they have to face is their own belief…is this possible? www.thereisanotherwayfilm.com
*****
The Present (2020): 24 minutes.
The Present is a gripping 24-minute live-action short film directed by Palestinian-British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi, co-written with Hind Shoufani. The story follows Yusef (played by Saleh Bakri), a devoted father and husband, as he embarks on a heartfelt mission: taking his young daughter, Yasmine, across the West Bank to purchase an anniversary gift for his wife, Noor.
Set against the backdrop of Israeli checkpoints and occupied territory, the narrative offers a poignant look at the erosion of normalcy under occupation. In a single, ostensibly simple act—trying to buy a fridge—the film lays bare the emotional and bureaucratic barriers Palestinians face daily. Their journey becomes a moving testament to love, perseverance, and the endurance of human dignity in the face of systemic oppression Al Jazeera.
Shot in just six days on location—including authentic footage at Checkpoint 300—the film employs guerrilla-style filmmaking to capture unguarded, real-life tension and intimacy. Nabulsi has described this opening sequence as one of the most meaningful of her career.
Critically acclaimed for its emotional resonance and restrained storytelling, The Present made a remarkable impression on the festival circuit. It premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award, and went on to garner awards at Cleveland, Brooklyn, Palm Springs, and more. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and won the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film in 2021
*****
Born in Gaza (2014): 54 minutes.
Directed by Hernán Zin, Born in Gaza is a deeply human and unflinching documentary filmed in the immediate aftermath of the 2014 Gaza War. Focusing on the lives of ten Palestinian children, the film offers an intimate portrait of what it means to grow up amid the devastation of conflict. Through their own words and daily routines, we see how war has left physical scars, psychological wounds, and profound loss, yet also moments of resilience and hope.
The children’s stories unfold in homes reduced to rubble, in crowded refugee camps, and along streets where destruction is part of the landscape. Zin avoids political rhetoric, letting the voices of the young narrate their own realities — the fears they carry, the dreams they still hold, and the ways they try to reclaim a sense of normal childhood.
Poignant and often heartbreaking, Born in Gaza confronts viewers with the human cost of war while affirming the courage and spirit of its youngest survivors. It is both a testimony and a plea — to remember that behind every statistic are lives just beginning, shaped by forces far beyond their control.
