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The
film Jeremy Hardy vs the Israeli Army, obviously it does what it says
on the tin. It's not really meant to be presenting both sides of an
argument in the Middle East is it?
No
and it's a slightly uneven conflict between me and the Israeli army!
It is a very tongue in cheek title. I think the Daily Mail said
something about it being a very arrogant title but it's not meant
to be arrogant at all.
I
don't think it's arrogant at all.
I didn't
think I'd win.
But
the interesting thing is, normally documentaries in this country
do show two sides of an argument. I sat down to watch it and really
was amazed at the film.
First
of all I think it's a great piece of film making and secondly, I
pretty much knew sod all about what was going off over there and
to see these kids from the International Solidarity Movement being
shot at...… They actually shot at you. What was it like be
there?
When
I first went over I went in two stages, I went at Easter last year
and then back in July.
When
I first went it was quite exciting 'cos there was a sense of - it's
all going to happen, the invasion is coming, everyone's in the street,
all the shops are open, everyone's stocking up.
Except
none of the activists thought to stock up - all the local people
are out shopping and we suddenly realise we've got no food.
But
y'know a lot of the fighters were on the streets with their guns
doing a big show of strength, so there's a sense of "Ooh this
is exciting".
And
also it was really, really frightening, I was absolutely petrified.
And then once they'd fired on us that day I thought "Well at
least I know what this is about now, at least it's real, it's happening."
It is sometimes easier than the expectation.
I did find that out: they can shoot you  |
| Jeremy
Hardy on the Israeli Army |
And
it was all really quick. We hid in the hotel for two days. Some
people went in the refugee camp to act as human shields and they
did save a lot of lives I think by doing that.
But
some of us hid in the hotel, then we got evacuated back to England
and it was all over.
The
when I went back in July everything was under curfew and it was
deserted. It was weird, it was like a film set.
It
was like sort of 5 O'Clock Christmas morning in the shopping centre.
Do you know what I mean?
There
was nobody there, and nobody on the street, and nobody going to
school and cafés all vandalised and destroyed and looted.
It was really peculiar.
But
there was somebody there wasn't there? There was you.
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| Film-maker
Leila Sansour |
I
remember looking at that, where the curfew was, and there's this
middle class English comedian with his purple passport walking around
going "well they can't shoot me", when they could've done.
Yeah,
they can do actually. I did find that out: they can shoot you.
It
was as an interesting film to watch. Firstly it was very entertaining,
secondly it was very informative. I've just been reading the producer's
notes, where she talks about the difficulties she had getting it
taken on by TV.
Yeah
well I don't think we'll ever get it on the telly, except as a museum
piece in years to come.
Did
you make it with that knowledge?
I think
the producer Leila [Sansour] thought that she was going to get it
on the television. I didn't. I thought this'll be interesting but
let's not kid ourselves that this will get on TV.
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