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Here’s the translation of the Arabic text into English:
The film's director, Danielle Albalg, is the granddaughter of the military governor of the Triangle region during the military rule period. The film takes us back to that time and introduces us to it, a very difficult period for Arab citizens who lived under occupation and humiliation. They faced restrictions on life and movement, exit and travel permits, curfews, the threat of being shot for violations or arrested, as well as the theft and confiscation of lands—whether belonging to refugees or even those present. Villages were partially evacuated, areas were declared closed military zones, prohibiting access to them before later confiscating them. Land was seized from citizens, who were then forced to work on their own land as wage laborers. Intelligence services pressured people to collaborate, imprisoned dissenters, denied them jobs, and much more, detailing the injustices of that period under military rule.
Paradoxically, the film also depicts how schools, institutions, and elders were compelled to celebrate Independence Day, singing "On my country’s Independence Day, the joyous bird sang," holding celebrations, and decorating in blue and white under pressure from the military government. These practices continued for many years after the end of military rule. The film also delves into the personal and family life of the military governor, as the director is his granddaughter, who uncovered family secrets during her search for the truth.
In the discussion following the film, it became clear that Jewish citizens were unaware of these facts about the period of military rule, as they are not taught or mentioned in schools or elsewhere. Meanwhile, those who lived through that time and suffered its impacts expressed in the discussion that the film does not fully capture the period's gravity, as some facts were not addressed. The director explained that it was impossible to cover all events in a seventy-minute film. Everyone praised the director’s courage for addressing a topic that has been largely ignored and subjected to attempts to obscure and forget it. It was revealed that from the establishment of Israel until today, there have only been six months in the country's history without military rule—from the end of 1966, when military rule ended, until June 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza and another military rule began.
This film serves as an archive of rare photographs and short films taken during that period.
Highly recommended.