A RUNNING OCCUPATION

A documentary telling the story of a diverse group of Palestinian runners pushing both physical and political boundaries during their training for the 2015 Palestine Marathon

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A couple of shots from the marathon on Friday. A participant runs alongside the West Bank barrier, and a pair of hijabi women approach the finish line with a young boy.

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Nadine lives and works in Jerusalem and will be running the 10k race tomorrow. She is motivated to run not only for fitness, but to inspire other hijabi women to engage in sports, and to challenge the perception of muslims in this part of the world. 

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Fadi, who lives in Bethlehem, training in a rural area close to town known as the Makhrour. Behind him is an Israeli settlement built on contested land.

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An Israeli Magavnik, or border guard, seen taking a nap in his vehicle through a small gap in the West Bank barrier close to the marathon course in Bethlehem.

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Diala often trains on the busy streets of Ramallah with other members of the Right to Movement running group.

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Tarek, one of the four young Palestinians we are following in the film, training in West Jerusalem. 

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a marathon like no other

The first ever Palestine marathon was held in Bethlehem in 2013. The complicated boundaries with Israel have constrained the course to a mere ten-kilometre stretch, meaning that participants must complete the route four times in order to run a full marathon. Forced to conform to the unique political geography of the West Bank, the course follows sections of the West Bank barrier, passing alongside baleful Israeli guard towers and sentry guns, before pushing through the narrow roads of Bethlehem’s refugee camps. To run here is a powerful symbolic act, and one that highlights the pervasive sense of restriction that Palestinians experience daily.

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The Israeli West Bank barrier in Bethlehem with graffiti depicting the logo of Right to Movement, the organisation behind the Palestine Marathon. 

http://righttomovement.org/

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shooting begins

Having arrived in Palestine a few days ago, and with less than a week until the marathon, we will be updating regularly to chart our progress during the shoot.