One Shot (2004)

01/06/2004

Overview

Writer/director Nurit Kedar's film trains a camera on the snipers of the frontline in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She goes out on patrol with active units, and interviews marksmen young and old. It can't have been easy to gain the confidence of the Israeli army or the trust of the individuals concerned, but, regrettably, the film isn't particularly illuminating. 'What do you want me to say?' asks one bluff veteran. Shame and defiance rub shoulders. 'I won't be allowed in heaven,' notes one rueful conscript. Occasionally Kedar hits on the madness; the game of it; the sick decorum. They're meant to shoot at the arms and legs of the stone throwers. 'I used to say I was responsible for a lot of legless Palestinians,' proffers a soldier. 'I would never say that now.'