The rocky terrain of Masafer Yatta is symbolic of the rocky lives of local Palestinians located in the region. Their lives are often restricted to atrocities imposed on them by the Israeli military primarily due to conflicts of land. In a scene you see a woman yelling at the Israeli military that her daughter was trapped in the house which had now been demolished. The response was of utter disdain when they mentioned that ‘they don’t care’. This was one of the many harrowing incidents that were frightening to witness, simply because the basic human trait of empathy and care was missing. The idea of completely stepping away from the human circle is the final nail in the coffin, and the citizens of Masafer Yatta were literally witness to the death of a Godless land. The options were clear – leave the village and settle elsewhere, or stay back and bear the brunt. The idea of rebuilding was negligible given how they had to seek permission from the military (which obviously they wouldn’t provide).

The basic premise of the documentary remains brutal. In a scene, you witness a man being shot simply because he was holding on to the generator which remained a vital tool for the group, even as his helpless mother looked on. That man later was shown to be paralyzed below the shoulder (and later succumbing to his wounds). On celluloid, we have witnessed so many scenes involving gunshots. But this documentary had it documented on camera, that made for a chilling watch while resulting in pandemonium. The degrees of dehumanization doubled up as stakes in the drama, even as the village was witness to water supply being cutoff!

Amidst the atrocities is also a budding tale of friendship between Basel and Yuval Abraham, an Israeli Journalist who is known to fight for the rights of the Palestinians. In a searing moment, you see Basel confessing to Yuval on how he is burdened by his father’s actions while also stating that he isn’t left with enough energy to take things forward. In another scene, you see him exclaiming on how his post hasn’t attracted enough eyeballs, even as its reach remains low. Through and through, you see Yuval being a silent listener and comforting Basel, who spends most of his time on social media making videos of the atrocities. The documentary ensures that it doesn’t paint all Israeli with broad strokes through the character of Yuval, who also joins on the forefront while doing his best to be the voice of injustice. Yet, clearly it is a losing battle even as both Yuval and Basel are subjected to physical blows at the hands of the military, who epitomize the death of humanity.