The war between Israelis and Palestinians is a subject that has been debated and discussed for decades. And sadly, for all those real people involved, the fighting doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. However, in the new film “Advocate,” the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is seen from a new perspective.
As seen in the new trailer for “Advocate,” the documentary follows the story of Lea Tsemel, a Jewish-Israeli lawyer that uses her skills in the justice system to defend Palestinians. The film not only shows the long career of the attorney but also covers her real-time caseload, including a high-profile trial of a 13-year-old boy.
The film is brought to us by Philippe Bellaiche and Rachel Leah Jones. “Advocate” is the directorial debut for Bellaiche, who has been a cinematographer on a number of projects previously. Jones, on the other hand, as several films under her belt, including documentaries such as “Gypsy Davy” and “500 Dunam on the Moon.”
The documentary made the festival rounds in 2019, screening at the Sundance Film Festival among other locations. “Advocate” arrives in select theaters and VOD on Friday. You can watch the new trailer from Film Movement below.
Here’s the synopsis:
Lea Tsemel defends Palestinians: from feminists to fundamentalists, from non-violent demonstrators to armed militants. As a Jewish-Israeli lawyer who has represented political prisoners for five decades, Tsemel, in her tireless quest for justice, pushes the praxis of a human rights defender to its limits. Advocate follows Tsemel’s caseload in real-time, including the high-profile trial of a 13-year-old boy — her youngest client to date — while also revisiting her landmark cases and reflecting on the political and professional significance of her work as well as the personal price one pays for assuming the role of “devil’s advocate.”