Movie Review: From Ground Zero

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A

A difficult to watch but essential movie.

One of the saddest truths about war is that those fighting and those in power aren't the only people who suffer. Just ordinary citizens living their lives suffer too. This documentary focuses on those living in Gaza, while this current war is going on. Many of us not living in the middle east, especially those of us in the U.S. and other countries across the ocean, when we hear news about what is happening on the other side of the world, we feel emotional disconnected from it. After watching this film, it is hard to feel the same sort of emotional disconnect. This forces us to face that the harsh realities that we hear about are happening to real people, not much different than us. I left the theater feeling completely and emotionally drained with my heart aching for everyone living in the middle east while this war goes on. 

This movie is told in a brilliant way. This is a feature film that is created from 22 short films created by Palestinian filmmakers that are currently living through what is going on. These short films are based off their own personal stories. This creates a more personal feel to this movie that makes it even harder to ignore that these horrors are happening to real people. 

This is a movie that is challenging to watch and about midway through you will already be emotionally drained. Yet that is just what makes this an important film to watch for anyone. It makes one have to see that these harsh realities are happening to real people and therefore will make them care about what is going on.