Silence Breakers

For an Israeli to publicly criticize their country is about the most transgressive thing they can do. At least that is what comes across in Silvina Landsmann’s documentary The Good Soldier, which takes a candid look into the organization Breaking the Silence (aka BTS), run by former Israeli soldiers who, during their mandatory service, were stationed in the occupied territories. The mission of BTS members is to share witnessed abuses of Palestinians, sometimes by their own hand. Hours of footage have been refined into guided tours of Hebron and the surrounding area, public lectures and house meetings, internal staff meetings, and media strategy. The backlash to this open criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians comes quickly and forcefully. The Good Soldier presents a fly- on-the-wall perspective into the organization's affairs and raises questions about Israel's dynamic mainstream and the challenges of confronting it. (Woodstock Film Festival)