

You can now order the DVD or watch the film online.



You can now order the DVD or watch the film online. Click here for more details. Can a modern democracy impose a prolonged military occupation on another people while retaining its core democratic values? Since Israel conquered the territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 war, the military has imposed thousands of orders and laws, established military courts, sentenced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, enabled half a million Israeli "settlers" to move to the Occupied Territories and developed a system of long-term jurisdiction by an occupying army that is unique in the entire world. The men entrusted with creating this new legal framework were the members of Israel's military legal corps. Responding to a constantly changing reality, these legal professionals have faced (and continue to face) complex judicial and moral dilemmas in order to develop and uphold a system of long-term military “rule by law” of an occupied population, all under the supervision of Israel's Supreme Court, and, according to Israel, in complete accordance with international law. The Law In These Parts explores this unprecedented and little-known story through testimonies of the military legal professionals who were the architects of the system and helped run it in its formative years. The film attempts to ask some crucial questions that are often skirted or avoided: Can such an occupation be achieved within a legal framework that includes genuine adherence to the principles of rule-of-law? Should it? What are the costs that a society engaged in such a long term exercise must bear? And what are the implications of the very effort to make a documentary film about such a system? The Law In These Parts

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The Team Ra’anan Alexandrowicz (writer, researcher, director) carved name recognition as writer and director of award-winning films such as the full-length feature James’ Journey to Jerusalem (Director’s Fortnight, Cannes 2003, Toronto 2003), and the documentaries The Inner Tour (Berlin 2001, Sundance 2001), and Martin (Berlin 1999, New Directors, New Films 1999, MoMA permanent collection). Ra'anan's critically-acclaimed works have been theatrically-released to international audiences and broadcast worldwide. Liran Atzmor (Israel Producer) Former managing director and senior producer at Belfilms, Israel. Mr. Atzmor has produced programs for all major Israeli broadcasters as well as broadcasters and distributors in North America and Europe including the BBC, ZDF-Arte, The History Channel, and many more. Credits include: The Yad Vashem Films, The Inner Tour and My Stills. Mr. Atzmor also served as senior commissioning editor for Israel's documentary channel ("Channel 8"). B.Z Goldberg (Co-Producer) A director and producer living in Jerusalem, His film Promises won two Emmys and was was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also known for his ground-breaking film work on climate change for the Klimahaus Museum in Germany, 8º34' East: The Journey Films. Laura Poitras (Co-producer, USA) Ms. Poitras is currently working on a trilogy of films about America post 9/11. My Country, My Country was nominated for an Academy Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Emmy Award. The Oath received the Cinematography Award at Sundance, the Grand Jury Award at Edinburgh Film Festival, Special Jury prizes at Hot Docs and Full Frame, and the True Vision Award at True/False. She received a Peabody Award and was nominated for both an Emmy and Independent Spirit Award for Flag Wars (2003). Martin Hagemann (Co-producer, Germany) is the owner and managing director of ZERO FICTION in Berlin. He has produced dozens of documentary and feature films with directors such as Hal Hartley, Alexander Sokurov, and Jan Schuette. Shark De Mayo (Cinematographer) Mr. De Mayo graduated in Fine Arts from the Thelma Yalin School of Arts in 1987. He has worked as a director of photography on a range of productions in Israel and abroad, including The Cemetery Club (Cinematography Award Docaviv 2006), White Gold - Black Labor (2004), James' Journey To Jerusalem (2003), Mother V (2001), and The Inner Tour (2001). Neta Dvorkis (Editor) has edited films and television series since 2003. Her credits include Oded Lotan's Blue Nathalie, Shlomi Hayoun's The Acting Teacher, and Barak Heiman's Lone Samaritan. Karni Postel (Composer) is a cellist and composer who performs and records with some of Israel's leading recording artists including Shalom Hanoch, Assaf Amdursky, Arcadi Dochin, Mashina, and others. Since 1991 Postel has written music for dance, theatre and films. She has worked with Ohad Naharin, Yasmin Godar, The Beit Lessin Theatre, Tzippi Brand, and others. Funders The Law In These Parts was funded with the generous support of: Noga Channel 8, Israel

Rabinowitz Cinema Fund, Israel

Sundance Documentary Fund

World Fund for Cinema

Lynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Documentary Film / Foundation for Jewish Culture

Radio Canada TV

Centre National du Cinema (CNC)

Noga Channel 8, IsraelRabinowitz Cinema Fund, IsraelSundance Documentary FundWorld Fund for CinemaLynn and Jules Kroll Fund for Documentary Film / Foundation for Jewish CultureRadio Canada TVCentre National du Cinema (CNC)

Press and Reviews

5 May, 2012 The Law In These Parts received the Special Jury Prize in the International Feature Competition at Hot Docs Festival in Canada. Click here for the official announcement.



15 April, 2012 The Law In These Parts received the Special Jury Award in Full Frame Documentary Festival. Click here for the official announcement.



29 March, 2012 The Law In These Parts touring North American festivals Check our screenings page for the upcoming screenings at the prestigious festivals: Hot Docs, Full Frame, Doxa, San Francisco, Toronto and more.

28 January, 2012 The Law In These Parts wins World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in Documentary at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. In presenting the award, Sundance jury member Nick Fraser stated: "This award goes to a great film. It's a tough film. It's an unforgiving film. It's a film made with spare artistry that you might tend to overlook because you're so busy looking into the film to see what it tells you... The jury loved this film because we thought it should be shown not just in this country, but we hoped it would get out all over the world and change people's minds." Download prize press release. Click here for the official announcement.

1 December, 2011 The Law In These Parts was selected for the World Documentary Competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Screenings announced: Friday, January 20, 3:00 pm

Screening Room, Sundance Resort Saturday, January 21, 3:45 pm

Broadway Centre Cinema 3, SLC Sunday, January 22, 3:00 pm

Yarrow Hotel Theatre, Park City Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 pm

Temple Theatre, Park City Thursday, January 26, 6:30 pm

Redstone Cinema 8, Park City Friday, January 27, 7:00 pm

Holiday Village Cinema 4, Park City

15 July, 2011

The Law In These Parts wins best documentary (Van Leer Group Prize) at Jerusalem Film Festival. From the Jury remarks: "This is an important achievement in documentary filmmaking. In an even handed way, this film reveals the process through which both the law and documentary are constructed. In doing so it invites audiences to question what we typically take for granted. It is a film for the big screen as well as small."

Ocean City Library 1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ 08226 to the venue's website December 18, 2013 at 19:00 All are invited to a Free Screening at the Ocean City Library Weds., 12/18/2013 @ 7PM of the powerful Sundance Award Winning Documentary, The Law In These Parts. It is an unprecedented exploration of the evolving and little-known legal framework that Israel has employed to administer its 40-year military occupation of the West Bank and, until 2005, the Gaza Strip. Council on Middle East Studies Luce Hall (LUCE), Auditorium

34 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven, CT 06511 October 22, 2013 at 18:30 Speaker/Performer: Sawsan Zaher, Yale World Fellow and director of the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Unit of Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel

Description: CMES Cinema screening of film directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz (Israel, 2011); in Hebrew with English subtitles. Introduction and after film discussion with Sawsan Zaher. University of Toronto Faculty of Law VC 112 (Alumni Hall), Old Victoria College Building

91 Charles St W to the venue's website October 22, 2013 at 16:10 The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is pleased to present a screening of the award winning and critically acclaimed documentary, The Law in These Parts, followed by a discussion with the film maker, Ra'anan Alexandrowicz, and U of T Law professors Kent Roach and Markus Dubber. Center for Middle Eastern Studies Harvard University Science Center Hall E, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA to the venue's website October 18, 2013 at 14:30 Screening and discussion with filmmaker Ra’anan Alexandrowicz

The Law in These Parts is the winner of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Jury Prize (Documentary), the 2012 Hotdocs Special Jury Prize (International Feature), the 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Anne Delinger Grand Jury Special Jury Award, and Best Documentary at the 2011 Jerusalem Film Festival. Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures,University of Virginia 101 Nau Hall to the venue's website October 17, 2013 at 19:00 Can a modern democracy impose a prolonged military occupation on another people while retaining its core democratic values? The Law In These Parts explores how Israel created a legal framework for the occupation through testimonies of the military legal professionals who were the architects of the system and helped run it in its formative years. The film was awarded four major international prizes including the World Cinema Jury Prize in 2012 Sundance Film Festival. POV Films PBS TV stations to the venue's website August 19, 2013 at 22:00 In The Law in These Parts, acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Ra’anan Alexandrowicz has pulled off a tour-de-force examination of the system of military administration used by Israel since the Six Day War of 1967 — featuring the system’s leading creators. In a series of thoughtful and candid interviews, Israeli judges, prosecutors and legal advisers, who helped devise the occupation’s legal framework, paint a complex picture of the Middle East conflict and the balance among political interests, security and human rights that has come with it. You can subscribe for updates at the top-right corner of the screen, or follow our facebook page feed.

Resources Press Notes: download Synopsis: download Sundance prize

press release: download Click on an image to download:

* All interviewees photos by Shark De Mayo

Justice Meir Shamgar (Brigadier General, Retired)

Military Advocate General 1963-1968

Judge, Supreme Court of Israel 1975-1995

President of the Supreme Court 1983-1995

Justice Amnon Strashnov (Brigadier General, Retired)

Deputy Military Advocate General 1985-1987

Military Advocate General 1987-1991

Dov Shefi (Brigadier General, Retired)

Legal Advisor,West Bank Military Command 1967-1968

Military Advocate General 1979-1984

Alexander Ramati (Lieutenant Colonel, Retired)

Legal Advisor, West Bank Military Command 1973-1979

Military Judge 1980-1981

Jair Rabinovich (Major, Retired)

Military Prosecutor 1977-1982

Military Judge 1988-1992

Jonathan Livny (Lieutenant Colonel, Retired)

Military Judge 1976-1999

Abraham Pachter (Lieutenant Colonel, Retired)

Military Prosecutor 1967-1970

Click on an image to download: Journalists and members of the press wishing to write about the film, or for more information, photos etc., please contact us at info@thelawfilm.com