The Bus Trip Dialogue list English English Swedish Polish Text 00:00:01:00 During the summer 2014, Israel launches a military attack called Operation Protective Edge. More than two thousand people in Gaza died as a result of the Israeli attacks. Most of the victims were children and civilians 00:00:13:08 Four weeks earlier 00:00:26:11 One day, I came home from work and someone had sprayed a swastika outside my window. I thought to myself, I hope no one has seen it and gotten upset Then, I sprayed over it with a red X and a circle 00:00:48:17 Hallo? 00:00:49:08 Hi dad, I m going to a film festival in Tel Aviv in Israel! 00:00:52:19 Good luck on your trip! You travel everywhere all the time. 00:00:56:19 Yes, it s going to be fun this time. 00:00:58:11 I m sure it will. 00:01:01:08 But I thought we would go there together? 00:01:05:03 But you know that s not possible. 00:01:07:21 You re dead. 00:01:09:00 Yeah yeah 00:01:18:19 THE BUS TRIP 00:01:45:16 I m on a bus with other film students. We re going to show our films at different locations around Israel. 00:01:50:07 I m looking forward to discussing film and learning more about Israel and the occupation of Palestine 00:01:56:01 When I was a kid I had a book called, The Girl with the Star. It was about a boy in the Hitler Youth.
00:02:03:23 I also had another book called, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. It had drawings, photos, and Bible passages that praised Israel. 00:02:13:14 I think it was written by a woman in a Christian cult 00:02:17:12 I think back to the swastika and realize it was meant for me and my Menorah that is in my window 00:02:28:03 before the park we re going to meet and get to know each other cus not everybody knows each other, so everybody will say their names, and what else, the park, and after the park it s party time, that s it 00:02:43:09 My dad, Jozef, was born 1946, one year after WWII. He grew up in Szczecin in northern Poland 00:02:51:08 One day, when he came home from school, he told his mother that he d been in a fight with a Jew kid 00:02:57:00 My grandmother then told him that he was also Jewish 00:02:59:19 My mother is Catholic. 00:03:01:03 We went to church every Sunday. On Saturdays, I had Bible school, I was taught about Jesus with all the other kids. I thought it was fun 00:03:08:16 I even served as an altar girl and helped the priest with incense, candles, wine, and communion wafers 00:03:15:21 So where are you from? 00:03:17:17 Eh, I m from Sweden, Stockholm 00:03:20:11 Oh, you re so dark for a Swedish 00:03:23:01 Yeah, I know, my parents are from Poland, so 00:03:27:06 OK 00:03:28:06 My dad never told me why he had to leave Poland with his family and move to Sweden in the early 70 s. This was because of the Polish anti- Semitic campaigns that caused my grandmother to lose her job as supervisor of all the National Communist Preschools in the city 00:03:43:00 Jews were called Zionists and thought of as a unified, wandering group who conspired on behalf of Israel and the United States 00:03:52:13 The Jews were accused of both cosmopolitanism and nationalism 00:03:56:18 So why don t we visit a Palestinian city? 00:04:00:00 It s impossible! 00:04:01:00 Why? 00:04:02:09 It s complicated and illegal, and I don t feel like talking about it!
00:04:09:00 I don t understand how my grandmother, Franciska, could hide her Jewish identity in Poland during the 1950 s. Everyone must had known she was Jewish 00:04:16:21 She raised my dad who was an only child 00:04:20:05 My grandfather would disappear for long periods of time without my grandmother knowing where he was 00:04:23:19 He would then come back as if nothing had happened 00:04:25:22 One time, it turned out, he had been to Italy to get himself a new Borsalino hat 00:04:30:07 When I ask about Palestine and the occupation, I get sarcastic answers and the other film students start to avoid me 00:04:36:09 I feel lonely and isolated 00:04:39:01 I worry that no one will talk to me 00:04:42:21 I asked my mom about the anti-semitic campaigns in Poland during the late 60 s. She said that all the Jews had the opportunity to leave the country 00:04:50:17 It was said that they where going to Israel and that it was excessive to call it anti-semitic 00:04:57:12 She then remembered when her family lived in a town outside of Warsaw. Her brother was bullied and called a Jew, even though my mom s family wasn t Jewish 00:05:03:18 They d taunt him and say, You re a Jew, so soon we don t have to see you anymore! 00:05:08:21 The year 1884, the Jews in Eastern Europe don t have a future where they live, if they want to seek for dignity they have to seek an entity for themselves, reclaiming the land. 00:05:23:23 Each day is packed with activities, lectures, trips to art museums, and outings to national parks and the beach 00:05:28:22 In the evenings, there are film screenings and parties 00:05:34:14 I think it s more to the right, and keep still. 00:05:38:02 Well 00:05:38:23 Do you see them? 00:05:39:14 No. 00:05:40:12 Okay, hold it more like this. 00:05:42:08 Like this?
00:05:43:06 No, wait. 00:05:44:11 Now? 00:05:45:15 Yes, exactly 00:05:47:10 You are a partner and it doesn t matter where you live Someone in Eretz Israel is reclaiming the land for settlement. This is offered to Jews all around the world. 00:06:01:03 Even though they are educated and very modern, the Jews have a hard time 00:06:03:23 Don t listen, it s brainwash. 00:06:05:15 What is this? I didn t know we where going to have this. 00:06:07:15 I ve heard this all my life and I m so sick of it! 00:06:09:19 This is keeping old stuff fresh and infected 00:06:15:14 All around the world 00:06:19:05 The festive party atmosphere and the nearby occupation of the West Bank are in stark contrast 00:06:25:02, just around the corner, the siege of Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis. So under these circumstances, the last thing I want to do is party 00:06:33:05 Now, hardly anyone talks to me on the bus. I m always alone, even though I no longer discuss Palestine 00:06:39:21 This is not uncommon. One Israeli film student tells me about a classmate who was ostracized for being an activist 00:06:48:02 I want to learn about the places we go to, but no one tells us anything. The guides don t tell us that the national parks were built on top of Palestinian villages that were destroyed, even though there is rubble everywhere 00:07:00:22 Now it s important that everyone uses these. It s very important that you protect yourself against the Arabs 00:07:08:00 At home, my dad always had chocolate, nuts, and grapes. When I was at preschool, there was always a parent who d dress up as Santa Claus before Christmas. He would call out the children s names. When your name got called, you would get a Christmas present; such as a tangerine 00:07:22:18 I was sure that it was my dad who was Santa Claus. I could tell by his accent 00:07:27:13 The other kids didn t believe me because all the parents had accents. So we would get into fights 00:07:36:12 This show is outdated and racist
00:07:27:13 Typical Swedish Television. I haven t seen these Jewish stereotypes in 15 years. 00:07:45:10 Sarah s young and might not understand, but this could still affect her. What do you think? 00:07:53:00 When I was 12, my dad disappeared. No one knew where he was. I used to call him on the phone, over and over again, even though no one would answer 00:08:01:05 Hello Sarah, how are you? 00:08:03:08 I don t want to stay at this film festival. They act as if this occupation doesn t exists. We look at Gaza from a hill and our guide jokes about how cowardly Hamas acts when the Israeli army launches military operations; as if people s vulnerability was a joke. And the next moment, we re supposed to have a beach party. No one even want s to talk about this situation. 00:08:24:20 But have you been to the Dead Sea? It s supposed to be beautiful. 00:08:31:17 I m going to travel to the West Bank. 00:08:33:12 What? The West Bank!? 00:08:35:11 First Hebron and then Ramallah 00:08:37:04 But I ve told you to not befriend Germans or Arabs! Do you want to get killed? My child, are you crazy?! 00:08:44:07 I know you ve said that but you ve never been here, dad. You don t know what it is like. 00:08:47:17 I know how it is. I read the paper. I talk to people. Have you forgotten about grandma? 00:08:55:11 No I haven t 00:08:56:22 All she had to eat was bread and grapes they found on the mountain. She was the only one who survived. 00:09:04:13 You never told me this 00:09:06:07 Do as you like but remember what I said! 00:09:09:08 Uh huh 00:09:10:05 Here is really bad for us. We are not equal by law. As Palestinians, we are under the military law. He is under the Israeli law. That s why he has the gun. As Palestinians, imagine, we are guilty until we prove the opposite. If he says something to the police now I will be arrested as guilty. But if I file a complaint against him, he is not guilty. He is innocent until the police proves the opposite
00:09:35:00 In Hebron, Issa Amro, a Palestinian human rights activist, tells us about the violence and harassments against the Palestinians by the illegal Israeli settlers. He explains how the occupation and military laws discriminates and destroys the lives of all Palestinians who live there 00:09:49:03 without camera we can t live and survive in Hebron. They can do whatever they like to us 00:09:56:04 When I was 23, I found out that my dad was in a coma and was in a hospital in Gdansk. By then, I hadn t seen him in over 10 years 00:10:03:10 I go there and find my way along the hospital corridors to the ward where my dad is 00:10:06:20 By his bed there s a red backpack with all his belongings, glasses, a watch, passport, a wallet with 72 polish zloty, and photos of my sister, her kids, and one of me from fifth grade 00:10:19:17 His arm is cold a damp 00:10:21:20 Goodbye dad, I say 00:10:23:17 The physician shows me X-rays of my dad s brain. She tells me it s not looking good. She then asks me to buy some necessities for him 00:10:30:22 I go down town and buy water and some T-shirts 00:10:34:15 On the main square, loudspeakers play Polish techno. I rush backand-forth between different pharmacies to find big enough adult diapers 00:10:51:06 Then I leave Gdansk. A few days later my dad dies. 00:10:59:22 I travel to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank to visit a documentary film class at Birzeit University 00:11:06:10 When I introduce myself and tell them about the bus trip, the Palestinian film students ask me what the Israeli film students say about Palestine and their views on the occupation? What is their discussion like? What do they say about us? 00:11:19:19 I then visit Deheishe: a refugee camp outside of Bethlehem, where Palestinian refugees have been living since 1949 00:11:27:10 It s now the third generation of Palestinians living there. 00:11:36:14 I find an old photo of me and my dad. It s from when we went on a car trip through Europe. I think we re in Belgium. We ve been driving all day and in the evening we stop in a city and take a walk 00:11:48:18 I m in front of my dad and he s holding my arms; I have my hands on his. Dad looks happy and focused. I look happy and jumpy. I must have felt his big belly against my back 00:12:01:02 So, how do you like it here, in Ramallah?
00:12:03:15 I really like it 00:12:04:13 But you re Jewish, right? 00:12:06:00 What? Yes, how could you know that? 00:12:10:13 I mean come on, eastern European, your hair.. 00:12:13:12 Yes, I guess it s quite obvious 00:12:41:11 We ll soon arrive at Stockholm Central, but first two stops 00:12:47:00 Hi, was your trip all right? 00:12:48:17 Yes, I ll soon arrive. 00:12:49:23 That s great Sarah, because I want to hear all about it. 00:12:54:11 Yes, I ll tell you about everything. I promise.