Film explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We also watch Dr. Gabor Maté support a group of women seeking understanding and healing and offers his insights into intergenerational trauma. Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives. This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed, while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?
Biography:
Zaya Benazzo is a producer and film director with engineering, environmental science, and film degrees. For many years, she worked as an environmental activist in Europe. Her deepest passion is bringing together wisdom from spiritual traditions in service of all life. Zaya believes that individual and collective liberation are inextricably interwoven.
Maurizio Benazzo grew up in Italy, and in 1984 came to the United States on a ninety-eight-year-old sailing boat. He started working as an actor, model, and filmmaker, but his thirst for knowledge was only satisfied in 2001 upon encountering I Am That, the seminal work by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, while he was in India shooting the award-winning documentary Short Cut to Nirvana. Their first project together was Rays of the Absolute on the life and teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Finley MacNeil is a film and television director, producer, and editor from Toronto. Having cut thousands of commercial spots by the age of seventeen and his first feature at eighteen, Finley practically grew up in a post-house. Working with countless producers in Canada, the US, and Europe, Finley has amassed innumerable credits at a very young age. His most recent works include Where Olive Trees Weep, The Case Against Cosby, and In Their Own Words.
