Unsettled

When the Israeli government elected to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005, its citizens responded with everything from unadulterated fury to heartbroken resignation to welcome relief. Capturing the full range of these emotions, Adam Hootnick’s “Unsettled” makes the political personal, drawing a scattershot yet intimate picture of a nation divided.
Filming in the weeks leading up to the withdrawal, Mr. Hootnick, a former producer for MTV News, appeals to the demographic he knows best by focusing on the opinions of six attractive 20-something Israelis. A pair of chatty, laid-back lifeguards are unwilling to leave their paradisiacal Gaza beach and guaranteed employment, while a pro-withdrawal activist explains how her sister’s death at the hands of a Palestinian suicide bomber informs her efforts for peace. Meanwhile, two deeply conflicted soldiers learn sensitivity techniques in preparation for the forcible evictions of their fellow citizens.
Filled with youthful energy and religious pain, “Unsettled” is a haphazard yet affecting record of diverse beliefs and motivations. Steering clear of analysis or solution, the director makes room for people the sound bites often ignore: those whose love for this contentious scrap of land has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with home.
Da The New York Times, 9 Maggio 2008