THE INNER TOUR
Directed by: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz.
Produced by: Raed Andoni & Liran Atzmor.
Director of Photography: Shark (Sharon) De-Mayo.
Edited by: Ron Goldman.
Music by: Muhssein Abep Al Hamio, et al.
Released by: Zeitgeist.
In English, Arabic & Hebrew, with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Israel. 98 min. Not Rated.
DVD Special Features: “Aftereffect”: A behind-the-scenes program by the Sundance Channel. Director’s statement.

This empathetic 2002 documentary follows a group of dispossessed Palestinians taking an organized tour of what they refer to as the “inner portion” of the land they consider their own - Israel. The title also alludes to the psyche of people suffering from loss of independence and wrongful expulsion as a result of the establishment of the Jewish nation. Israeli director Alexandrowicz shot this compelling and often darkly ironic work in 2000, months before the second uprising began, which would make such trips impossible.

That there is more than one way to view the conflict superbly comes across as the film observes people literally made to be tourists in their former home, particularly the sight of their quietly startled faces as they listen to Israelis tell their version of their country’s formation. Blunt juxtapositions demonstrate the differing perspectives: the fiercely proud Palestinian woman describing how her husband killed an Israeli soldier, or the incongruity of a people so confined within a limited space that this three-day trip marks the first time they have been to a beach.

DVD Extras: Alexandrowicz insightfully remarks in the behind-the-scenes program that he was not surprised when the peace talks broke down and the second Intifada began. His experience of making this movie had made him realize the difficulty of achieving peace. From a cinematic perspective, the director’s acknowledgment that he began to see his film as a predictor of further violence is telling, especially in relation to his choice of footage. Reymond Levy
October 5, 2004