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This is Palestine

John McColgan journeyed through the occupied Palestinian territories to witness the struggles endured by Palestinians and the inspiring partnerships which aim to improve people's lives

August 11, 2017 at 9:19 pm

Two years ago, Mohamed’s home was raided in the middle of the night. At around 2am Israeli soldiers kicked down the down the door and entered the house, throwing shot grenades and brandishing machine guns. The incident had a profound effect on Mohamed’s 12-year-old son, who completely lost the power of speech and has not spoken a word since.

Sadly, occurrences like this are far from unique; every day, Palestinian children are subject to horrifying ordeals under the occupation, and many will never recover from the psychological trauma. The plight of the Palestinian people is an ongoing struggle for a better life, a life free from checkpoints and machine guns and the terrors of living under Israeli rule.

John McColgan, a multi-award winning producer and director, recently travelled to Palestine to record the lives of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip, and document their hardships and struggles living under military occupation.

Read: Salt Houses: A story of Palestinians without Palestine

Travelling with Trocaire, a charity set up in 1973 by the Irish Catholic Church, McColgan journeyed through the occupied Palestinian territories interviewing Palestinians who have lost their homes, land and family members as a result of the Israeli occupation. He also documented the inspiring partnership of Israeli and Palestinian activists who are constantly working together to end the oppression and create a better future for both sides.

This eye-opening documentary marks the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and the tenth anniversary of the blockade of Gaza. With the UN declaring that at the current rate, Gaza will be uninhabitable by 2020, “This is Palestine” highlights why now, more than ever, a solution to the ongoing conflict must be reached before it is too late.