Inch Allah (2012)

Directed by: Anais Barbeau-Lavalette
Country: Canada / France

Review: “Inch Allah” takes a very personal look at Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the eyes of Chloe, a Canadian doctor who lives in Israel but works in an improvised clinic in the Palestinian side. Her spare time is spent with friends from both sides. She gets along with a Palestinian family, as well as with Ava, an Israeli neighbor who works as checkpoint soldier. Caught in the middle of chaos, checkpoints, searches, and prejudices, Chloe just tries to help everybody and be neutral, but right after witnessing a Palestinian kid dying and being ignored just as if nothing had ever happened, she dangerously starts to expose herself by taking a side in the conflict. Besides, her well-intentioned actions were not always understood, leaving her in a disoriented state. The film depicts an old conflict with the same dramas and traumas, showing that war makes huge transformations on people and there is nothing you can do to change the situation. I just could not cope with the idea of Chloe consenting that her personal relationships interfere with the aid she was giving to innocent people in need. Intentionally or not, her renunciation to help, disclosed a sort of disappointing selfishness instead of the intended victimization. Well shot with powerful images, though.