It’s hard to imagine anybody living a normal life in the Gaza Strip. Frequently labelled as the world’s largest open-air prison, it makes an appearance on news reports every time a confrontation erupts between Israel and Hamas. From TV sets thousands of miles away, this tiny piece of land has been reduced to an image of violence, chaos and destruction.
The Gaza that is seldom seen is the ordinary, everyday Gaza, a coastal strip which measures just twenty-five miles by six and which is home to an eclectic mix of almost two million people. Gaza can only be understood by immersion, by living amongst its people and by recognising and exploring its rich social diversity and cultural subtleties.
This new documentary takes an atypical approach to finding out what makes this remarkable place tick as it introduces to the world extraordinary stories of everyday characters leading ordinary lives. Gaza depicts a people plagued by conflict but not defined by it. Through them we gain a nuanced understanding of what life is really like for its citizens, as we build towards a tender portrait of a beleaguered humanity.