Occupied Minds (2006) User Reviews

What are the Israeli-Palestinian problems? Perhaps two journalists from either side can find out.

[phila-3 · 10/10 · 25 June 2006]

An exceptionally timely film about how the neighboring states of Israel and Palestine agree to disagree. Two naturalized American journalists - one Israeli and one Palestinian - take a trip back to their homelands to see why all the fighting continues, and to attempt ideas at solutions. In the end, it is found that any solutions to be had will be much harder to reach than one could hope. Everyone talks of peace, but yet - as children - everyone still says "You first" as an answer to any problems. It is long known that ego-driven solutions never come to fruition. Unlike much of what we see on the media-driven TV and in newspapers, this film does a better job at capturing what life is really like in that begrudging area of the Middle East. Many homes are destroyed, soldiers and checkpoints everywhere, bigotry and bias reign supreme, and everyone still claims to want peace. So what can be done? Not much currently, short of making a documentary. An interesting twist of social views can be seen during an interview in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, which seems to be described as more of a vacationers Mecca, something akin with New York or Paris or any other major city. It is fancy and chic, and the inhabitants are seemingly (though not actually) clueless to what is going on around them (as described in the film). The rest of the scenery really appears as a third world nation, not two countries vying to make bigger plans for themselves. Ultimately, it is a true shame from both sides - and one that needs a solution quickly before much more suffering is to be had. There is an almost accidentally humorous scene in which an older Palestinian woman is illegally making her way through a crack in the dividing wall. She fumbles through, cursing Jews before realizing that she may be in their midst. Overall, "Occupied Minds" is a rather gritty expose into the mentalities of two begrudging factions, both willing to chatter and blame, but neither one really willing to make any concessions. As a documentary, this film is excellent.

Occupied Minds is crude, anti-Israel propaganda

[d-shayne · 1/10 · 29 June 2008]

This documentary was blatant anti-Israel (and in some parts actually anti-Jewish) propaganda. The film's makers recruited an anti-Israel "Israeli"(Michaelis-he is really an American living in San Francisco) to give the film a false patina of objectivity. There is nothing fair, balanced or objective about this film. It opens up with the primary Arab protagonist (Dajani-also an American) complaining about the horrible things that happened to Arabs in 1948, including his family--while blithely omitting the apparently unimportant fact that the Arabs, not the Jews, launched the war that caused his family's problems. Ditto the occupation itself, which began when 3 Arab States tried to destroy Israel in 1967, forcing Israel to occupy the territories. This is just one of many examples the distortions and half- truths through which this film only sows confusion instead of shedding light on a complex political and social problem. Dajani berates his Jewish targets (he really angers Meron Ben Vineste, who is actually very moderate in views and generally sympathetic to the Palestinian plight), he obscenely compares Israel's anti-Terrorist barrier to the Nazi-built wall around the Warsaw Ghetto (A prelude to the holocaust), he equates suicide bombings with military operations intend to prevent suicide bombings, while Michaelis never utters a word of protest or disagreement with Dajani's distortions but mostly is seen nodding sagely. There are also some serious production flaws--for example, an Arab terrorist makes numerous remarks in Arabic that are not translated (but when he speaks in Hebrew it is--I'd like to know what he said in Arabic). This is a great movie for any one who hates Israel and does not care about truth or fairness. Otherwise, its garbage.

Where is the objectivity?

[marijumanji · 5/10 · 11 June 2012]

I picked this up at a local library in Ottawa, Canada, hoping it might illuminate the Israel-Palestine conflict for me. I chose this title because it seemed like it was the most balanced and "neutral" documentary they had. Every other documentary seemed to have a pro-Palestine slant. There was one about Israeli soldiers who are conscientious objectors, another about the plight of displaced Palestinians . As an aside I'm deeply disappointed that a publicly funded Canadian institution seems so blatantly politically biased. Shame on the head librarian at the main Ottawa branch for such an overt attempt to affect public opinion. An institution such as a library should serve to illuminate and enlighten, not proselytize.

The DVD box touts the fact that it contains an "Israeli and a Palestinian" but there is no neutrality here. Rather than a well-spoken proponent of Israel, the American-Israeli in question is a far-left leaning Palestinian sympathizer. This is worse than FOX News in terms of propaganda. Like with Hannity and Colmes, we are presented with the forceful and charismatic viewpoint of the Palestinian host which we are meant to agree and sympathize with, instead of a weak counter argument from Colmes though, we get an "Israeli" that merely nods his head and agrees with everything the host says.

Through the use of Michael Moore style ambush journalism the film attempts to sensationalize and demonize the Israeli right while painting the Palestinian terrorists as simple reactionary victims of Israeli aggression. A leading Palestinian militant is patiently listened too and portrayed as a rational and sensible individual. They even show him playing with his small child during the credits, wanting nothing more than to live in peace.

Over-editing seeks to portray an Israeli spokesman as an irrational idiot, demanding an end to an interview once he clearly realizes what is going on. No attempts are made to try and understand Hamas or other terrorist groups. There is no serious analysis made concerning the history of anti-semetism in the area or the use of propaganda, brainwashing and child soldiers by Palestinian militant groups. The effects of suicide bombings in civilian areas is not explored. This film is one sided propaganda for the Palestinian cause and nothing more. This is only one side of the story, those looking for the other half will have to look elsewhere, and for that I can only award a 5/10.