Fighting in the Shadow

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The declaration in 1948 of the state of Israeli and the war that followed resulted in a large number of Palestinian refugees fleeing their homes. The refugee camps in which they found shelter are still their homes half a century later. Ein el-Helweh alone has a population of some 70,000.

This even-handed film provides a slice of everyday life of the people who live in the camp, as well as explaining the political background to the situation in which they find themselves. It includes:

·          The hopes and dreams of the man-in-the-street, that mainly revolve around an end to the violence and a return to what they still see as their homeland

·          The daily, deadly conflict between the different political factions in the camp - Fatah and a number of militant Islamic groups linked to Al-Qaeda. There is unprecedented access to hardliner Colonel Mounir Maqdah

·          The difficulties of finding employment within the camp when the residents are banned from performing more than 70 jobs by their Lebanese hosts

·          The political background to their situation and to the Arab-Israeli conflict in general, including their land claims in what is now Israel

·          Education of children in the camp, including blind children

·          The residents' pastimes, including traditional dance and keeping in touch with relatives over the Internet