Directed by Molly Stuart
USA | 2021 | Documentary | 75 min | Hebrew/English w/ subtitles
Source: Filmmaker
Sponsors: Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Program and the Stettenheim Foundation
Not available on Virtual
*Followed by Q&A with the director
Like all Israeli youth, Atalya is obligated to become a soldier. Unlike most, she questions the practices of her country’s military, and becomes determined to challenge this rite of passage. The film follows Atalya’s journey and, unlike many activist films, allows us to gradually get to know her and her family, putting human faces on this controversial topic. Her courage moves those around her to reconsider their own moral and political positions. Middlebury College graduate Molly Stuart offers a unique window into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the perspective of a young woman who seeks truth and takes a stand for justice. Through Atalya, Objector also indirectly questions the definition of patriotism anywhere. ~Orly Yadin