Mohammed Alatar
His past working experiences include positions, such as Future Stories Director for CBS News and Media Advisor to UNDP and the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs. In 2002, he founded and directed « Palestinian for Peace and Democracy».
With profound commitment to human rights and people's struggle, Mohammed Alatar defines himself more as a human rights activist than a filmmaker. He uses his work to promote his ideas and convictions around the world, giving scope to the causes and values he defends. His mentors are Oliver Stone and the Egyptian director Yousef Chahin, who are « people who make movies with a message, not just entertainment ».
In 2006, Mohammed Alatar released « The Iron Wall », a film about the establishment of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which also covers the controversial construction of the Israeli Wall in the West Bank. The film argues that settlements are the visible aspect of a strategy for permanent occupation of the territory. «The Iron Wall» follows the timeline of the settlements and examines their effect on the peace process.
Referring to the Wall and the film, former US President Jimmy Carter said: “The best description of the barrier, it’s routing and impact is shown in the film The Iron Wall.”
In 2008, Mohammed Alatar released “Jerusalem the East Side”, one of the highest viewed political documentaries. It presents the effects and injustices of the 42-year Israeli occupation of east Jerusalem”.
His current documentary project « Broken » (working-title) attempts to explain why nothing has been done to stop Israel from continuing to build the Wall, why no dismantling has begun after the ICJ declared it illegal in 2004.
