The film Smile, and the World Will Smile Back to be screened at Hot Docs Film festival in Canada

20 March 2014

The film is the product of collaborative effort by filmmakers and a Hebron family of volunteer photographers

The short film “Smile, and the World Will Smile Back”, was accepted by North America's largest documentary film festival, Toronto's Hot Docs festival. Filmed by the al-Haddad family of Hebron and made in collaboration with B'Tselem's camera project was recently shown at at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film documents one winter’s night at the al-Haddad home in Hebron. A group of soldiers arrives for a routine night search there, for reasons unknown to the family. Diaa and Shatha al-Hadaad, brother and sister, pick up the home video camera and record the events as they unfold throughout the night. The soldiers force Diaa to stand facing a wall, saying they won’t leave unless he stops smiling.

Ehab Tarabieh will be present at the festival. To arrange interviews please contact Sarit Michaeli.

Watch trailer

Credits:

Smile, and the World Will Smile Back

A film by the al-Haddad family, Ehab Tarabieh, Yoav Gross.

Photography:

Diaa al-Haddad, Shatha al-Haddad, ‘Abd al-Karim al-Haddad, Ahmad al-Haddad.

Editing:

Ehab Tarabieh, Yoav Gross

Running time: 20 minutes.

Language: Hebrew, Arabic

About the filmmakers:

The al-Haddads

A Palestinian family from the West Bank city of Hebron. The father, Abdelkarim and his two sons, Diaa and Ahmad, work as shoemakers; his daughter Shatha is a medical secretary. They have been volunteer photographers on the B’Tselem Camera Project since 2008.

Yoav Gross and Ehab Tarabieh, B’Tselem Video Department Staff

Yoav Gross is director of B’Tselem’s video department. He was born in Jerusalem in 1977 and holds a degree in film from Tel Aviv University. His short documentary film Susya was circulated worldwide and was awarded prizes both in Israel and internationally.

Ehab Tarabieh is coordinator of B’Tselem’s camera project. He was born in Majdal Shams in 1982 and holds a degree from the Sam Spiegel Film TV School. His short feature film The Forgotten won Best Short Film Award at the 2012 Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

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