The shepherd’s keeper

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THE SHEPHERD’S KEEPER

IL GUARDIANO DEL PASTORE

Hadara Oren

70' /

Israel

/ 2024

Since ancient times, Palestinian Bedouins have lived in the Jordan Valley. Over the stony desert terrain, they lead their goats to graze on the sparse, dry grass. But today the valley is under Israeli military and civil control, and the Bedouins are evacuated, relocated, and deported. Armed soldiers and hooded Jewish settlers drive them out of the so-called “firing zone,” while a small group of resolute activists defends them against violent threats. Armed only with phones, they rush to wherever clashes erupt, filming everything at great personal risk. Young soldiers—barely more than kids with guns—call their superiors in confusion, unsure of how to proceed. The activists believe peaceful coexistence is possible, but the situation seems increasingly hopeless, with irreconcilable positions: the shepherds' staffs on one side, the soldiers' rifles on the other. The documentary, produced without support from Israeli public funds, follows citizens whose vision sharply contrasts with that of those in power.