FADIA'S TREE

FADIA'S TREE

Cert U

86 mins

BBFC advice: Contains brief very mild threat, language

Every time I watch a documentary or see a news report about the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, I become more bewildered.

This is surely a war which nobody can win and yet, since we had brief hope of peace during the Camp David accord of 2000, bloodshed and brutality has been incessant.

My visit to Jerusalem nearly 20 years ago, heightened my incredulity that near-neighbours could be so vehement in their anger towards each other.

The experience is among those which has significantly diminished the appeal of both nationalism and religion in my eyes.

Anyway, Sarah Beddington's Fadia's Tree symbolises one woman's dream of returning to Palestine after spending most of her life as a refugee in Lebanon.

Fadia sees hope in trees and two in particular - one outside her apartment in a refugee camp in Beirut and, more poignantly, one in the village from which her family hailed but has not been able to return.

Ironically, being a foreigner means Beddington has easier access to Isreal and Palestine, so she sets off to try to find the tree of Fadia's dreams.

In parallel to this story is one of migrating birds and how their homing instincts run so close to those of people.

If this sounds rather incongruous, I am happy to report that is works.

But, on reflection, I am not sure that seeing the decades of horror in the Middle East through the prism of one person's experience covers it with enough depth.

Perhaps, the problem is that Beddington does not ask enough questions of her subject nor does she expand her story enough.

For example, we wanted to see Fadia's children and understand from them what it has been like being brought up Palestinian having never even visited their homeland.

Nevertheless, Fadia's Tree certainly has its heart in the right place and that should be applauded.

Reasons to watch: An insight to life as a permanent refugee

Reasons to avoid: Presumes too much knowledge

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10