Israel 2004, 40 min, OV hebrew/arabic with english subtitles
“Breaking Walls,” Video 48’s new documentary, follows three people whose paths intersect at a mural in an Israeli Arab village – Mike, Dani and Mus’ab. American painter Mike Alewitz has produced colorful murals, from L.A. to Baghdad, all dedicated to the working class. Dani Ben Simhon of the Workers Advice Centre who gave up a promising art career to organize Arab workers and says “this is my art now”. Builder Mus’ab Salameh says “When I started painting…I felt I was laying bricks.” With other volunteers, the three paint a fractured wall, expressing hope that a common future for workers will burst through the cracks.
The film presents a hopeful picture in which walls between workers crumble. Beyond that, it shows a conservative society whose internal walls are being breached.
