Welcome to Hebron

Although there are supposedly two sides to every story, Welcome to Hebron is very much a one-sided documentary, filled with astonishing images of official (and unofficial) cruelty and humiliation aimed at Palestinians in the city of Hebron. Putatively the story of 17-year-old Leila Sarsour—a Muslim teen who attends an all-girl school and speaks fluent English—Terje Carlsson's film, which was shot over the course of three years, offers a street-level view of daily life for Palestinians who are the majority population in Hebron, where a few hundred Israeli settlers live in a tight-knit and well-guarded community. Carlsson captures horrifying scenes of Israelis—including children—chanting hate slogans and pelting Palestinian women and youngsters with rocks while the victims walk home; of Israelis obscenely harassing longtime residents in the latter's unprotected houses; and of Palestinians being forbidden by soldiers to pick olives from trees or to keep their businesses open. The impression conveyed is that this occupation seems intent on dehumanizing an entire people to justify their mistreatment. Welcome to Hebron makes no claim to traditional journalistic balance; indeed, it is a raw production shot from a center of constant violence. But whatever its bias, the documentary is also a shocking portrait of orchestrated hate. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)