H2

In documentary style, the artist tells the story of the Middle Eastern town of Hebron, a town at the center of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In 1997, the town was split into two sectors, H1 under the Palestinian jurisdiction and H2 governed by Israel. Sharett comes to the Israeli part of the town to teach video to a group of young Palestinian women, whilst filming her own story about H2.

Panoramic shots of the landscape alternate with still images of several local families who Sharett befriends during her visits. The seeming serenity of nature is echoed in people's composure. They arrange themselves in picture-perfect fashion, gazing quietly and smilingly into the camera. There is almost no movement. Sharett shows the way they pray, make tea or bake bread through a series of still images that further intensify the feeling of tranquility. The artist recounts some of her conversations with the locals, which leads the viewer to the realization that the tranquility is actually illusory. One of the artist's female friends explains to her how to differentiate between a friendly gunshot and enemy fire. It becomes apparent that the people of Hebron have acquired the life skills that reveal the depth of their psychological trauma, a trauma caused by being caught in the middle of the conflict. (Olena Chervonik)

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