MohammedElKurdhttpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZxhaPDS66s

“My Neighbourhood” is one of the powerful documentaries I have ever seen. Produced by Just Vision, “My Neighborhood” tells the story of Mohammed El Kurd is a Palestinian boy growing up in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in the heart of East Jerusalem. When Mohammed turns 11, his family is forced to give up part of their home to Israeli settlers, who are leading a campaign of court-sanctioned evictions to guarantee Jewish control of the area.

“My Neighbourhood” follows Mohammed as he comes of age in the midst of unrelenting tension and remarkable cooperation in his backyard. Highlighting Mohammed’s own reactions to the highly volatile situation, reflections from family members and other evicted residents, accounts of Israeli protesters and interviews with Israeli settlers, the film chronicles the resolve of a neighborhood and the support it receives from the most unexpected of places.

On Sunday, we met with members of Just Vision who took us on a tour of Sheikh Jarrah and introduced us to Mohammed, who is now 15. He showed us his home, where everyday he has to walk by the very people that took half of his property. He also performed an incredible spoken word piece for us, and showed us where he tagged  his house with a message for the settlers and the State of Israel.

IMG_0429aMohammed is studying to be a lawyer so he can fight the forced evictions of his people in court. He also recently wrote an open letter to President Barack Obama asking the President to visit his neighborhood  to see his suffering community firsthand.