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At A Breaking Point: "Young Freud In Gaza"

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  • At A Breaking Point: "Young Freud In Gaza"

    AT A BREAKING POINT: "YOUNG FREUD IN GAZA"
    Maymanah Farhat

    Electronic Intifada
    http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article1 0561.shtml
    May 29 2009

    A scene from Young Freud in Gaza.

    In addition to a long list of films exploring themes of social
    injustice and conflict, Swedish filmmaker PeÅ Holmquist has directed
    several on Palestine. Young Freud in Gaza (2008), his most recent
    documentary on the subject, enters the recesses of Palestinian
    society as it copes with life under Israeli occupation. Directed
    with Holmquist's longtime partner, Beirut-born Armenian filmmaker
    and journalist Suzanne Khardalian, the 60-minute film follows Ayed,
    a 27-year-old psychologist working for the Palestinian Authority's
    Clinic for Mental Health in northern Gaza. The only field psychologist
    in the area, Ayed frequently makes home visits, treating patients of
    all ages, from diverse backgrounds.

    The film chronicles his consultations from 2006 to 2008, as the
    psychologist and his community are surrounded by crippling economic
    sanctions, violent clashes between the Hamas and Fatah factions and
    frequent Israeli missile attacks. The film not only accompanies Ayed
    as he administers counseling sessions but also when he is at home with
    family and friends. A looming element that is often present is the
    outcome of Hamas' win of the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections
    and the subsequent changes Gaza is made to endure. This has a profound
    affect on Ayed and his patients as they experience significant backlash
    from Israel and witness growing internal political divisions. In the
    span of time covered in the film, Gaza's state plummets, as its civil
    infrastructure is debilitated and violence increases.

    Despite this grim reality, Ayed remains dedicated to treating his
    patients and works to gain their trust from the onset. Even the most
    guarded and skeptical individuals, such as maimed Hamas fighters,
    put their faith in him once their treatment begins. From chronic
    depression to eating disorders, Ayed's patients experience a range of
    mental health issues. A common variable in their stories, however, is
    the Israeli occupation and the significant physical and psychological
    damage it has caused to Gaza's residents.

    Abed is a young man who was severely injured in a failed suicide
    mission in Israel. Suffering from partial memory loss, Ayed attempts to
    help him remember the events of that day as a way of relieving stress
    and alleviating physical pain. As his story unfolds, we learn that he
    barely escaped death after being chased by Israeli authorities. The
    details of Abed's situation are later revealed when he describes
    having been paid to execute the foiled attack. Out of desperation
    and the prospect of providing momentary financial stability for his
    impoverished family, Abed decided to work with militants and pursued
    the assignment. This speaks volumes about the dire circumstances
    experienced in Gaza and the wide-scale violence instigated by the
    occupation.

    Another case involves Inas, a teenage girl who is severely traumatized
    by a childhood experience. Having come upon the body of a classmate
    killed by Israeli fire near her school, Inas has suffered from
    depression and anxiety throughout her adolescence. Ayed attempts to
    counsel Inas on dealing with her mental state, while struggling to
    involve her parents who have grown impatient with the lengthy road to
    recovery. Some of the most telling scenes of the film occur when he
    lectures Inas' parents on the importance of visiting the clinic for
    further treatment. Stern and unyielding, he admonishes them for their
    lack of commitment and the effects it has on Inas. It is here that
    we witness one of the many challenges facing a psychologist working
    with few resources and little community support. As Ayed confirms,
    Gaza is badly in need of "a million psychologists."

    Often frustrated and let down, he eventually finds himself torn
    between continuing his practice and enduring its psychological toll
    or resigning from his position in search of peace of mind.

    Young Freud in Gaza provides a much-needed look into a community
    struggling to survive amidst abject poverty and brutal assaults as it
    resides under the shadows of collective trauma. With the international
    blockade leaving the territory virtually cut off from the outside
    world, the documentary not only offers a glimpse into the private lives
    of Palestinians in Gaza, it serves as an important historical record.

    Grounded in the conversations that occur during Ayed's counseling
    sessions, the film works to draw the viewer in as though they are
    witnessing these exchanges firsthand. The directors are physically
    absent as Ayed narrates scenes, conducts interviews or goes about
    his day. During some of his most vulnerable moments, namely when he
    begins to doubt the effectiveness of his work amidst deadly factional
    violence, the camera serves as a confessional of sorts.

    This intimate setting is also created by the camera's close proximity
    to its subjects and the capturing of the interior spaces of daily
    life. From Ayed's medical office to modest dwellings in refugee camps,
    the viewer is brought into Gaza's internal realms. Yet at all times the
    film evokes the external forces that deeply impact residents. Shots
    of a hovering Israeli surveillance blimp, news footage and scenes
    showing outbreaks of fighting among Hamas and Fatah forces serve as
    constant reminders of the grave environment that lies just beyond
    the safe haven Ayed creates for his patients.

    Although informative and engaging, Young Freud in Gaza is perhaps
    best understood by viewers familiar with the contemporary history of
    Palestine and the Israeli occupation. Lacking an overall historical
    context, the film assumes the viewer possess some knowledge of recent
    events in the occupied territories, labeling certain scenes with
    simple titles and little explanation. Clues to the details of these
    events can be found mainly when Ayed references them in passing,
    such as when he explains to a patient that the clinic's shortage of
    antidepressants is a result of the Israeli-led blockade. More details
    on the cause of the confrontations between factions, which dominate
    the film, would provide a more comprehensive approach to representing
    the situation in Gaza during that time.

    Lengthier accounts of each patient's treatment and their progress
    would have also enhanced the film, as their stories are seemingly
    incomplete. In the end one is left wishing that the filmmakers would
    have incorporated more footage so as to expand their narrative. Given
    Israel's vicious attack on Gaza earlier this year, however, Young
    Freud in Gaza nevertheless speaks with a profound urgency.

    Maymanah Farhat specializes in modern and contemporary
    Arab art. Her collected writings can be viewed online at
    http://maymanahfarhat.wordpress.com.
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