This Oscar-nominated documentary is a powerful look at the conflict between Palestine and Israel through the eyes of a filmmaker/olive farmer in the small town of Bil’in.  Pieced together from almost five years of material as captured by the titular broken cameras, the audience is given a front-row seat as Emad Burnat, his family, and fellow villagers battle with Israeli settlers infringing on their land.

Going in I was initially a bit weary for another documentary about the perils of war.  I know that as a white man living in Middle America I have little to complain about, freedom being the least of my worries.  However, as shown by Burnat in striking and graphic imagery, life is quite different for the people of Bil’in who are simply trying to protect their land and livelihood.  Through non-violent protest, the villagers use various methods to keep the Israeli settlers and army away but with every step forward they take, the opposition pushes them back further with violence and illegal occupation.

Each camera tells its own story as it documents important stages of the conflict.  People we meet early on change as the years pass as they grow hardened to the turmoil surrounding them.  It’s a near-daily battle and Burnat captures it all without flinching even as Burnat himself is arrested, shot at, gassed, and further injured over the years.  Though lives are lost and hardships are never-ending, he never loses sight of what he’s documenting for the good of his village and his family.

We also watch Burnat’s young son as he grows up under the shadow of violence.  When the film begins the son is barely a year old, then he’s saying his first words, then he’s three, and finally he’s five.  There are nice parallels drawn between the boy as he matures and the continuing crisis facing his future.  Burnat’s wife, too, is shown as her resolve is tested with each new roadblock and threat of danger.

The footage shot by Burnat and co-director Davidi is fairly incredible, an all-access pass to terrible acts and graphic depictions of violence that we aren’t used to seeing in film.  It’s a hard-hitting, eye-opening film that more than earns its nomination for Best Documentary.