top of page

WOMEN OF REFAIYA

 

Synopsis

 

In the Palestinian village of Refaiya there is no water infrastructure. Instead of using water taps, the women are obliged to carry water buckets from a nearby natural spring. Following several women from El-Amur family, the film reveals life in a place where water is considered a luxury.

Director: Yoav Shavit

“In our first meeting of research, the family took us to the toilettes and showed us there’s a regular tank, but it must be filled each time with a bucket of water. They presented us with every outcome of having no water. That night, back home in Tel Aviv, I brushed my
teeth and noticed I opened the tap before actually washing my mouth. I suddenly thought: “but we don’t have enough”, realizing this little act is somewhat of a waste.”

“There are parts in the film where you see the girls carrying a bucket on their heads and you tend to forget this girl has been doing it since the age of five. You can drift to biblical images of crossing the desert. But no - it is right here, an hour and a half drive from my
house, with checkpoints on the way and settlements that don’t deal with such issues.”



31 years old, born in Tel Aviv, living in Berlin. Graduated the Film and Television department of Tel Aviv University. Producer of the project “Coffee – Between Reality and Imagination”.

bottom of page