The opening image of Hurdle is a man next to the cement border wall between Israel and the West Bank. It seems clear that this is the hurdle of the title, albeit one far too big for any human to clear, but then filmmaker Michael Rowley introduces us to Sami, a young Palestinian man who taught himself the art of Parkour and now coaches the Jerusalem Parkour Team. "I feel like someone who had been living in a cage," he explains, and the sense of overcoming obstacles through athletic action in Parkour gives him the feeling of freedom. Hurdle focuses on two men: Sami and Mohammed, who teaches photography and storytelling to a mixed class of young men and women in the Aida Refugee Camp in the West Bank. Where Sami teaches the gymnastic sport of overcoming urban obstacles through acrobatic movement, Mohammed teaches his students to observe and record their world and their lives through photography, to become critical storytellers through the images they capture. Late in the film, we meet Jihad, a member of the Parkour team who wants to go to law school and fight for social justice. Rowley sets these portraits against long, unbroken shots of life on the streets of the occupied West Bank, where Palestinian youth clash with occupying Israeli forces. In one scene, as young kids fly kites on a sunny day, armed soldiers interrupt to push the kids back from the border wall. The footage is dynamic and jarring, presented without comment, and the mix of contrasting sequences makes the film seem shapeless at times. But the contrast is the point of the film: this is a dangerous, volatile, impoverished place where violence can and does erupt from anxiety and resentment, but there is also hope in the efforts of men like Sami and Mohammed, who give young people physical and creative outlets for their energy. In a sense, they give people tools to hurdle their obstacles. As for the politics of the film, the images speak for themselves. This is an observational documentary and Crowley shows audiences the way Palestinians live under occupation and reminds us that they have dreams and aspirations too. There are scenes of physical conflict and violence, and where there is no explicit imagery, it can be upsetting. Special features include director's commentary and study resources for educators. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Axmaker)