Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti, often described as the ‘Palestinian Nelson Mandela’, is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison following what was seen by many as his unlawful arrest and imprisonment. Sophia Scott and Georgia Scott’s film may well be straightforward in tone and structure but this takes nothing from the strength of this provocative and compassionate story.
Recent polls indicate that politician and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Barghouti could be elected the next Palestinian president, meaning Israel would be holding a country’s leader behind bars. Through the eyes of his dedicated wife Fadwa and their family, alongside notable activists, journalists and leaders, Marwan – Tomorrow’s Freedom delves into the story of a charismatic and indefatigable figure.
The film opens with his eldest brother Moqbel Barghouti telling a story about his brother. “When he was 11 or 12 they (Israeli soldiers) shot his dog. This was the story of the occupation – taking things that he loved away from him…the things he loved the most.”
Marwan Hasib Ibrahim Barghouti was born in 1959 in Kobar on the West Bank near Ramallah. He played an active role in the youth movements and at the age of 18 was arrested by Israel for his involvement with Palestinian militant groups. He completed his secondary education and received a high school diploma while serving a four-year jail sentence, where he also became fluent in Hebrew.
He became one of the major leaders in the West Bank during the First and Second Intifadas, leading marches and becoming a key spokesman for peace based on the full withdrawal of Israel from occupied Palestinian territories. In April 2002 he was arrested at his house in Ramallah. “He was taken out of the house by soldiers…he was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers,” says his oldest son Qassam.
Barghouti’s story is told movingly by his wife Fadwa, as well as his children Sharaf, Arab and Qassam, while footage of his eventual trial is especially moving and powerful. He appeared in the Tel Aviv court house in 2004, accused of authorising suicide attacks inside Israel on civilians during the 2nd intifada.
French International Criminal Lawyer Simon Foreman was recruited by the Inter Parliamentary Union (an international organisation of national parliaments whose primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members) to “monitor what was happening during the trial and asked me to write a report whether he is he getting a fair trial or not,” he said, adding that it eventually was “impossible to regard it as a fair trial. Marwan was sentenced to five cumulative life sentences plus 40 years.
The film follows his time in prison, his family visits and campaigns for his release and dwells on his hunger strike. The footage ranges from the intimate and engaging through to moving and powerful, but confirms him as a charismatic and popular leader who – according to polls in 2012 – would attract 60% of Palestinians to vote for him as President of the Palestinian Authority if given the chance.
UK, 2022, 97mins
Dirs: Sophia Scott, Georgia Scott
Production: Groundtruth Productions, Cocoon Films
International sales: Groundtruth Productions
Producers: Sophia Scott, Georgia Scott, Sawsan Asfari
Cinematography: Sophia Scott
Editor: Georgia Scott
Music: Brian Eno, Massive Attack, David Milln
