AT A BREAKING POINT: "YOUNG FREUD IN GAZA"
Maymanah Farhat
Electronic Intifada
0561.shtml
May 29 2009
A scene from Young Freud in Gaza.
In addition to a long list of films exploring themes of social
injustice and conflict, Swedish filmmaker PeÅ Holmquist has directed
several on Palestine. Young Freud in Gaza (2008), his most recent
documentary on the subject, enters the recesses of Palestinian
society as it copes with life under Israeli occupation. Directed
with Holmquist’s longtime partner, Beirut-born Armenian filmmaker
and journalist Suzanne Khardalian, the 60-minute film follows Ayed,
a 27-year-old psychologist working for the Palestinian Authority’s
Clinic for Mental Health in northern Gaza. The only field psychologist
in the area, Ayed frequently makes home visits, treating patients of
all ages, from diverse backgrounds.
The film chronicles his consultations from 2006 to 2008, as the
psychologist and his community are surrounded by crippling economic
sanctions, violent clashes between the Hamas and Fatah factions and
frequent Israeli missile attacks. The film not only accompanies Ayed
as he administers counseling sessions but also when he is at home with
family and friends. A looming element that is often present is the
outcome of Hamas’ win of the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections
and the subsequent changes Gaza is made to endure. This has a profound
affect on Ayed and his patients as they experience significant backlash
from Israel and witness growing internal political divisions. In the
span of time covered in the film, Gaza’s state plummets, as its civil
infrastructure is debilitated and violence increases.
Despite this grim reality, Ayed remains dedicated to treating his
patients and works to gain their trust from the onset. Even the most
guarded and skeptical individuals, such as maimed Hamas fighters,
put their faith in him once their treatment begins. From chronic
depression to eating disorders, Ayed’s patients experience a range of
mental health issues. A common variable in their stories, however, is
the Israeli occupation and the significant physical and psychological
damage it has caused to Gaza’s residents.
Abed is a young man who was severely injured in a failed suicide
mission in Israel. Suffering from partial memory loss, Ayed attempts to
help him remember the events of that day as a way of relieving stress
and alleviating physical pain. As his story unfolds, we learn that he
barely escaped death after being chased by Israeli authorities. The
details of Abed’s situation are later revealed when he describes
having been paid to execute the foiled attack. Out of desperation
and the prospect of providing momentary financial stability for his
impoverished family, Abed decided to work with militants and pursued
the assignment. This speaks volumes about the dire circumstances
experienced in Gaza and the wide-scale violence instigated by the
occupation.
Another case involves Inas, a teenage girl who is severely traumatized
by a childhood experience. Having come upon the body of a classmate
killed by Israeli fire near her school, Inas has suffered from
depression and anxiety throughout her adolescence. Ayed attempts to
counsel Inas on dealing with her mental state, while struggling to
involve her parents who have grown impatient with the lengthy road to
recovery. Some of the most telling scenes of the film occur when he
lectures Inas’ parents on the importance of visiting the clinic for
further treatment. Stern and unyielding, he admonishes them for their
lack of commitment and the effects it has on Inas. It is here that
we witness one of the many challenges facing a psychologist working
with few resources and little community support. As Ayed confirms,
Gaza is badly in need of "a million psychologists."
Often frustrated and let down, he eventually finds himself torn
between continuing his practice and enduring its psychological toll
or resigning from his position in search of peace of mind.
Young Freud in Gaza provides a much-needed look into a community
struggling to survive amidst abject poverty and brutal assaults as it
resides under the shadows of collective trauma. With the international
blockade leaving the territory virtually cut off from the outside
world, the documentary not only offers a glimpse into the private lives
of Palestinians in Gaza, it serves as an important historical record.
Grounded in the conversations that occur during Ayed’s counseling
sessions, the film works to draw the viewer in as though they are
witnessing these exchanges firsthand. The directors are physically
absent as Ayed narrates scenes, conducts interviews or goes about
his day. During some of his most vulnerable moments, namely when he
begins to doubt the effectiveness of his work amidst deadly factional
violence, the camera serves as a confessional of sorts.
This intimate setting is also created by the camera’s close proximity
to its subjects and the capturing of the interior spaces of daily
life. From Ayed’s medical office to modest dwellings in refugee camps,
the viewer is brought into Gaza’s internal realms. Yet at all times the
film evokes the external forces that deeply impact residents. Shots
of a hovering Israeli surveillance blimp, news footage and scenes
showing outbreaks of fighting among Hamas and Fatah forces serve as
constant reminders of the grave environment that lies just beyond
the safe haven Ayed creates for his patients.
Although informative and engaging, Young Freud in Gaza is perhaps
best understood by viewers familiar with the contemporary history of
Palestine and the Israeli occupation. Lacking an overall historical
context, the film assumes the viewer possess some knowledge of recent
events in the occupied territories, labeling certain scenes with
simple titles and little explanation. Clues to the details of these
events can be found mainly when Ayed references them in passing,
such as when he explains to a patient that the clinic’s shortage of
antidepressants is a result of the Israeli-led blockade. More details
on the cause of the confrontations between factions, which dominate
the film, would provide a more comprehensive approach to representing
the situation in Gaza during that time.
Lengthier accounts of each patient’s treatment and their progress
would have also enhanced the film, as their stories are seemingly
incomplete. In the end one is left wishing that the filmmakers would
have incorporated more footage so as to expand their narrative. Given
Israel’s vicious attack on Gaza earlier this year, however, Young
Freud in Gaza nevertheless speaks with a profound urgency.
Maymanah Farhat specializes in modern and contemporary
Arab art. Her collected writings can be viewed online at