Ayelet Heller's grim documentary focuses on Palestinian strawberry farmers at Beit Lahiya in Gaza—all non-political agricultural workers who wind up in the middle of the May 2005-April 2006 military conflict between Israel and Hamas, which followed the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Strawberries, it appears, are the only food item sold for export marked as Palestinian produce, but must travel to market via Israel. When Israel sealed the border crossing with Gaza, the Beit Lahiya strawberries ended up being dumped in garbage bins, resulting in both a catastrophic disruption of the agricultural economy and a cruel punishment for the men and women who labored over the crops. Although Heller's film shows the gruesome effects of the seemingly endless military struggle—with Israeli helicopters firing rockets into Gaza City and on the rural roads around Beit Lahiya—much of Strawberry Fields is devoted to the actual process of cultivating strawberries. But the heart of the film lies in the plight of the farmers, whose frayed patience and barely concealed anguish offer a heartbreaking portrait of people who just want to go about their business without literally being stuck in the middle. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Strawberry Fields
(2007) 60 min. In English & Arabic w/English subtitles. DVD: $99.95: public libraries; $350: colleges & universities. The Cinema Guild. PPR. ISBN: 0-7815-1265-4. Volume 23, Issue 6
Strawberry Fields
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