The long, muddled history of the foundation of Israel and the annexation of Palestine are explored with remarkable objectivity and moral clarity in this gripping and essential documentary composed entirely of rare archival footage from Swedish TV.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989 2024
Israel Palestina på Svensk TV 1958-1989
There has been no shortage of films, fiction and non-fiction, about the Israeli Palestinian situation, but few have succeeded in exploring this highly combustible subject so comprehesively and lucidly.
Acclaimed documentarian Göran Hugo Olsson (The Black Power Mixtape, Concerning Violence) has searched the vast reserves of Swedish TV to unearth the history of the foundation of Israel and the consequent occupation of Palestine from the point of view of his fellow Swedish broadcasters.
The film goes back to the beginning of the 20th century to detail Palestine’s colonial history and the European apathy that allowed for the unrestricted establishment of a Zionist state. Over the course of an engrossing three-and-a-half hours, every facet of the unbalanced power dynamics between Israel, Palestine, and the Arab states is investigated via interviews with some most notable players and figures from both camps, along with field reports from around the region.
The result is a rich, provoking tale of misjudged policies and systemic injustices that led to the tragedies currently unfolding daily in Gaza. — Joseph Fahim