Palestine PEOPLE AND THE OLIVE mp4.mp4

A documentary about the struggles and joys of Palestinian olive farmers and the journey of the Run Across Palestine.

Produced by Aaron Dennis and journalist Jacob Wheeler

What do olive trees mean to Palestinian farmers?

Olives are their livelihood, their source of sustenance and the way they root themselves, historically and spiritually, to the land. But Palestinians are denied access to nearly 30 percent of their beloved olive trees in the West Bank as they struggle to live under Israeli military occupation.

How do they persevere? And what should the international community understand about Palestinian olive farmers, who love their land and harvest it every season to feed their families — just as farmers across the world do?

To raise awareness about the struggles of Palestinian fair trade olive farmers — and to replant uprooted olive trees — six Americans set out in February 2012 to run 129 miles in five days across the West Bank of Palestine.

The Run Across Palestine ;;was organized by the Traverse City, Michigan-based nonprofit ON THE GROUND, which works to support sustainable community development in farming regions across the world. Joining them was a media team comprised of a filmmaker, two journalists and a musical ambassador.

The runners faced many barriers in the endeavor - ;;barriers that represented a microcosm of what their Palestinian friends face every day.

Along the way, they forged deep bonds with their hosts while witnessing the harsh political reality and uplifting beauty of life in the West Bank.

946 MB MP4
69 minutes

Uploader: Abdurrahman Bashar(Abr007)