Slingshot Hip Hop (2008)

Palestinian youth write and perform hip hop in the '48 (what they call Israel) and the occupied territories (Gaza and the West Bank). We meet DAM, a '48 group, led by Tamer Nafar; three young women who perform to rousing applause but objection from some family members and neighbors; and PR, an emerging trio from Gaza. They see rap as a way to channel anger. The camera observes them composing and performing, going to gigs, and walking the streets of Tel Aviv and Gaza. Israel's military presence is extensive: for instance, will PR be allowed to travel from Gaza to a concert in Ramallah, even with proper papers? Cell phones and the Internet link friends across walls, checkpoints, and barbed wire.