User Reviews

This film does mostly what it intends: From the inside of Jenin it documents the Jenin inhabitants tragedies with losses of family members and the struggle against an occupation force. It does not, however, documents the objective FACTS and the objective truth of the events occurred, but merely the facts and truth for the Jenin inhabitants. (If at all such truth about the Jenin event exists?!)

After having seen this movie my knowledge of the event are not much greater, but my knowledge of the stress Palestinians undergo have been greatly enhanced. One has to be very cold-hearted not to feel empathy with people interviewed in this movie, and therefore I rate this movie 8 of 10. Simply because it works.

But notice: If you are watching this movie ONLY for political reasons, remember also to view movies that displays the stress and sorrow for Israeleans victims.

To understand a conflict, is to understand all sides of it.

Movie clearly shows the truth of whats happening in Gaza. Five Israeli reserve soldiers suing an Israeli Arab film director they accuse of libeling troops who fought in the battle for the Jenin refugee camp, they accuse Mohammad Bakri of libelously portraying them and their comrades as war criminals in the film Jenin, Jenin, which was recently banned in Israel.

The soldiers are also suing two Israeli cinemas which screened it after its October release, demanding about half-a-million dollars. One of the reservists told the Israeli newspaper.

TRUTH HURTS!

I've just seen this movie in a public viewing with the director. Disheartning to see that it got such a low score and some viewers find it unrealistic. If it's a lie why did Israel ban this film and persecute its author? Isn't it supposed to be a democratic country? Only on paper I'm afraid. It's about time Israel takes responsibility for its military occupation of Palestine and for its WAR CRIMES instead of shouting antisemitism every time someone dares criticizing their politics. I'm amazed at the courage of the Palestine people, among all the destruction they still manage to send out a message of hope. Totally recommend this documentary but keep an open mind!

This award winning documentary is definitely worth the watch, finally someone has the guts to portray what really goes on behind closed doors.. this movie really exposes Israel's war crimes and consistent policy of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. It's a very sad movie that really makes you realize what's important in your life and how truly bad, the world we live in, is. I recommend this movie to everyone who wants to open their minds and understand where Palestinians are really coming from and why they fight for what they believe in, now how many of us can really say that? Literally?

This documentary about the massacre of the Israelian army in Jenin lets eye-witnesses from the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin have their say. Their testimonies offer a shocking insight into the constant war in the middle-east region, that all-too-often is covered up by the western media. The Israelian authorities did not only refuse access of journalists, they also banned the film. Delegates of the Knesset publicly called the people to boycott the theater plays of the director of this film, who is a Palestinian living in Israel. In my understanding of freedom of opinion every side must have the right to advance an opinion, so everybody can decide what to think of it.

One of the best documentaries i have seen. Engages both sides to allow the viewer to freely make his opinion without coercion or bias. The director simply allows those who lived that time to tell their story and let the facts stand on their own. Gives the foreign viewer a unique look at the seeds of the conflicts as never addressed before in other movies. Written in a nice witty manner. Enjoyed every second of it. The script is supported with lots of never seen visual footage. It brings us back to a period of time which gives us the hind sight of 20/20. The director allows both sides to bring several points of view. A very critical time in the arab israel history and this DVD clears much of the controversy that prevailed.

Is this a worth while movie to watch?

Just by looking at all the attempts to play it down in various ways by Israelis and friends should indicate that THERE IS SOMETHING REALLY WORTH WHILE taking part of!!! "It's false, fabricated, hatred, one sided and anti-semitic, funded by PLO" they all cry out together joining the ranks with the Isreali Minstery of Foregin Affaris which has published an article "Seven Lies About Jenin" about the movie. That if ANYTHING is a sign that EVERYONE should watch it!

For an Israeli land grabbing, killings, road blocks, invasion and PR cover-ups are all just for the "war" of survival. ANYTHING that questions that method and politics is a treat, anti- semitic and hateful.

but don't take my word for it! SEE THE MOVIE and then make up your own mind! get EDUCATED on all sides of the "holy land"! and don't stop on one side - cross the boarder and hear the arguments from the other side. EITHER OR, SEE THIS MOVIE!

no love without no heart. no heart without respect. no respect without justice. no justice comes from occupation!

: maria

Excellent and bold documentary, It is very rare to see this kind of brave coverage exposing the crimes committed against the Palestinians. Heart breaking accounts of the events that took place by first hand witnesses. I don't understand some of the reviews saying "it is boring" or "repetitive". You cannot possibly find this film boring if you have any kind of human compassion. And yes, there is some repetitiveness, it is a documentary based on interviews of eye-witnesses who all viewed the same massacre... The film goes beyond explaining the facts and documenting an important event, it also helps the audience understand the impact this massacre had on its victims and survivors.

A must see eye opener for everyone.

An officially Palestinian funded Propaganda fiction movie (funded by: Yaser Abed Rabo and the Palestinian authority.)

full of direct lies that where debunked (such as: "thousands got killed" when 54 mostly armed terrorists died during battle.) It was also recognized as such by the UN reports and HRW and Amnesty. So, if you are going to see this intentional edited manipulation as admitted by the director Bakry himself on an interview to "haaretz" newspaper And as he admitted on the Israeli supreme court by agreeing himself to change it from documentary to fiction, later on changed his mind after the other side refused to agree to anything but the total removal of scenes which are containing harsh misleading information. The judges allowed the screening to protect freedom of speech , but as they said, the law doesn't judge if the freedom of speech contain lies or truth.

In 2002, April 3rd through 12th, the population OF Jenin, a Palestinian refugee camp and home to some 14 000 people living under strict military curfew, was exposed to a merciless assault by Israeli soldiers, tanks, armored bulldozers, and helicopters. Much of the camp was shot and blown to hell, while an area the size of several football fields in the centre of town was completely leveled, purportedly the gravesite of many hundreds of people. That is the clear aftermath. The exact details of the occupation are still debated, accounts varying from "the Palestinians asked for it" (Israel) to claims of generally bloodthirsty behavior on the part of Israeli soldiers (Palestinians, Red Cross workers, and just about any outsider who's visited the site). "Jenin Jenin" is a documentary lending voice to Jenin's survivors wishing to participate in that debate (which ended up costing it's director his life).

Through "Jenin Jenin", you'll take a stroll though the rubble. You'll listen to shattered people give accounts of brutal murder of their kin that are so horrid, you'll have trouble believing them because you cannot wrap your mind around such carnage being perpetrated by mere men. Except that at one point, you'll see footage apparently shot during the occupation -- footage of captives lined up on the ground and run down by an armoured vehicle. You'll see a young girl with a disturbing cold gaze, and come to understand just how deep her hate for Israel already runs. Ten years old at most, she pledges to do all she can to destroy Israeli lives.

In the end, you'll either declare it all bulls**t, believe the Israeli claims that whatever happened, the Palestinians asked for it, and I'll call you a flaming moron, or you'll want to do something about it but find you can't, your government won't, and you'll hate the world.

Everyone must watch this Documentary film.

It exposes the destruction and oppression of the occupation military and tells the "Palestinian truth" about the "Battle of Jenin"

Jenin, Jenin shows the world why armed resistance is the only way forward for Palestinians.

They suffer immeasurable losses at the hands of the brutal Tel Aviv regime, and yet they still persevere.

This films shows us why Israel is the scourge of the Mid East.

This film by an Israeli Arab and partially funded by the P.L.O. seeks to tell the story of what happened in April 2002 in Jenin. The movie is entirely one-sided, and unfortunately a complete exaggeration of the truth. It is interesting to see, because it shows you how Jenin looks and how the people in this city are. It's really confusing because most Westerners think a refugee-camp is just tents but this is a full-fledged city. The movie plays on the media's depiction of events as a "massacre" but the official death count is not stated nor is it alluded to in the film. The film starts more moderate but soon we see anti-Bush and anti-Semetic undertones. It is very unfortunate that the truth could not be told about this event in the film because it is tragic that this conflict continues. Please after viewing this film watch The Road to Jenin by Pierre Rehov, which counter argues every point made in this film including key testimony.

I have not seen such a bad movie in a LONG time. Basically, if you wish to view and enjoy pure propaganda that is based on fiction and one-sided, biased, and hateful views, by all means you are invited to watch this movie. The other reviewer iliteratti has in fact proved that he lives up to his name - ILLITERATE. No one can be that naive and foolish, or can one?? I read avidly about the politics and all surrounding issues concerning the bitter and long-term conflict in the Middle East. I would also like to think that, unlike so many who have a stake in holding one position over another, I am not prejudiced one way or another. I call it as I see it and I base my conclusions on facts after carefully reviewing all pertinent information relating to a given situation. When one reads all the facts and figures as they related to the Israeli operation in jenin, one cannot be but impressed with the utmost concern for human life shown by the Israelis. In fact, I can ONLY wish our OWN military would show that kind of concern in similar situations. Therefore, to base one beliefs strictly on this movie amounts to sheer idiocy. have you read and heard that, Mr. Iliteratti?? War and conflict are ugly by definition and there's nothing anyone can do or say to mitigate that ugliness. That being said, the Israeli military incurred some heavy casualties exactly BECAUSE it took great care to protect the innocent. Were there innocent casualties during the Jenin operation? undoubtedly so. Unfortunately, no army in the entire world can conduct such large scale operations within crowded urban conditions (especially those encountered in a heavily crowded and shabbily constructed refugee camp) with surgical precision. If the Israelies wished to spare their own soldiers, they would and could have simply bombed the camp indisriminantly. they opted against such a sweeping punitive action and that choice ought to be applauded. The movie tried to make it seem as THOUGH it was based in reality whereas anyone who is familiar with the facts can easily see the facts were relayed in a wrong, misleading, purposeful manner. Unfortunately, even IF one wished to regard this movie as pure fiction, it still did not amount to anything worthwhile viewing. MUCH LESS SO when the producers portrayed their work as realism. Thus, to go along with the movie as though it mirrored reality (as Mr. Iliteratti had done) amounts to naiveté, at best.

In 2021, the writer/director Bakri lost a libel/defamation case in the Israeli court for the false/misleading portrayal of the conduct of Israeli soldiers in the Jenin battle during operation Defensive Shield in 2002. The court deemed the film and the particular scenes as "propaganda" and "a lie". Consequently, the film was banned from commercial screening in Israel. Anyone who believes the film is "objective" or "informative" should re-check very carefully their sources of information.

Several false claims are made in the film such as that a non existent wing of a hospital was destroyed. ( http://tinyurl.com/pfdjp ) The UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the international press, al Jazeera and even the Palestinian Authority all verified that there was no massacre in Jenin. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jenin_2002 ) {I am NOT citing Wikipedia as a reliable source but the article has links to reports by the organizations cited above} Bakri admitted to faking footage and not verifying if his witnesses were telling the truth. ( http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42404 ) As a masterpiece of using film as propaganda it deserves a 10 but since documentaries are supposed to portray the truth it deserves IMDb's lowest rating The claim that "the director was killed by Israeli soldiers shortly after the film's release" made by the reviewer from New Zeeland on March 6, 2006 is incorrect. In fact he is still alive (unless he died very recently). Mohammed Bakri was scheduled to appear at a Palestinian film festival April 24, 2006. (EDIT it appears that the IMDb administrators or the author removed that claim) http://www.palestinefilm.org/2006/ Len

The movie has reached court discussion wherein it has been established it is full of manipulation, lies, fake footage, intentional edits mixed from various sources a d blunt staged/transcribed lies.

Its creator is now sued for libel.

Worthless, manipulative, dishonest and full of lies.