There are movies, and then there are films that move up.

Slingshot Hip Hop is the latter. This documentary on the Palestinian Hip Hop scene - both in 1948 and 1967 occupied Palestinians - is a tour de force by a Palestinian-Syrian-American young filmmaker.

Films over the period of several years, documentarian Jackie Salloum chronicles the first Palestinian Hip Hop act - DAM [Da Arab MCs]; who live in the 1948 occupied town of Lyd in “Israel
- travels to Gaza where she met Muhammad al-Farra of PR - then back to the ‘48 Palestinian where she introduces us to Mahmoud Shalabi. We also meet the very talented Sabreena Abeer. With the exception of Mahmoud [because it wasn’t there] I bought all their albums. And I highly recommend them to all those who like rap [check their MySpace, ect...], even if you don’t know Arabic.

The film did something seldom seen on Western - especially American - media: humanization of Palestinians. One sees scene after scene of Palestinian children dancing to hip hop, a Muslim Palestinian Hip Hop girl duo, and a hijab-wearing woman throwing her hands up to rap.

One of the most moving parts of the film was when the audience was introduced to two young - maybe 15 years old - aspiring rappers: Balal and Rami. After we meet them, a cut-away told us that they both were arrested and convicted for 10 years in Israeli prison all because they threw rocks at soldiers. After the film - I watched it at a screening that Jackie attended and as did one of the showcased rappers - Jackie told us that they served four and a half years and were tortured badly while in prison. All for throwing rocks at terrorist Israeli soldiers!!!

After the film, I walked away feeling more passionate than ever that we must never make peace with Israel. It is a usurping entity that has to be uprooted. The injustice of the occupation in 1948 Palestine and especially in 1967 Palestine is presented with such stark and harsh imagery that sometimes the film can be hard to watch. But it must be seen. All people - especially Arabs and Muslims - need to see what Israel has done and to never forget such images. The time will come when Israel will be removed and those images should stay in our heads so that we do not flatter in bringing to justice all those Israelis who committed crimes against Palestinians.

There is so much more to say about this film, but I’ll just urge you to go and see it yourself. DVD drops in April.

Free Palestine: from the river Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea!!!!