The Collaborator and His Family is a chronicle of family, assimilation and espionage that follows the El-Akels, a Palestinian family whose father, Ibrahim, has been a collaborator out of ideology with the Israeli security services for 20 years. Branded as traitors by Palestinians, the entire family fled to Israel seeking asylum as promised by Ibrahim's Israeli 'operator.' Over a two-and-a-half-year period, as each day passes with no progress towards citizenship, tension builds within the family. Alienated and humiliated, Ibrahim's wife Yusra, three teenage sons and two daughters bear the consequences of Ibrahim's decision while struggling to assimilate into Israeli society. Co-directors Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz gain intimate access to the hardest moments the family face, observing as each connecting thread between family members unravels. This unflinching documentary highlights the experience of the many who risk their lives to collaborate with an enemy. - Written by Karina Rotenstein, Hot Docs
I've seen many docs this year but this one stayed with me. Their previous work The Garden, which I adore is remarkable , but I think this one is even stronger, with it's unique look on the middle eastern conflict and the strength of the human spirit. The film tells the story of a collaborator from Palestine who collaborated with the Israeli secret service while he abandon his identity and chose to betray his own people , but he was also betrayed by the Israelis whom he worked for. the film deals with the consequences of constant war and how it creates new society through the look on the next generation- the children of the collaborator . The directors manage to show an intimate, cleaver story with unbelievable excess. Beautifully shot and edited . Highly recommended!!!