Crowd-sourced, independent film, Though I Know the River Is Dry is a layered and moving short focussing on the complex issues Palestine has, and continues, to face.
Returning to Palestine, a man reflects on the complicated decision he made between his allegiance to his country and the chance to create a better life for his family in America. In doing so, the film explores the effect this decision had on his family and their subsequent reactions.
The collision of filmed and curated archive footage depicting the turmoil in Palestine proves to be a powerful combination, connecting wider political issues to personal emotional affairs. The cinematography is beautiful, and compliments the use of long silences and poignant, short dialogue. As writer and director, Omar Robert Hamilton’s minimalist and subtle approach to the themes is appropriately delicate and as a result the climax proves to be tense and powerful in its simplicity.
