A prison with one million inmates... that's how the people of the Gaza Strip regard their land.

Gaza is an area of 288 square kilometers surrounded by an electric fence. Lacking natural resources and being one of the poorest places on earth - Gaza is dependent on its ties with Israel - its enemy.

Made by an Israeli and Palestinian crew, CLOSE, CLOSED, CLOSURE shows the nerve-racking process of getting people in and out, and the growing frustration and deprivation of the local population, amongst the reasons for the "second intifada" and the present-day blood bath.

The film also presents the different Israeli standpoints - right wingers who consider the occupation legitimate, and doves who are willing to give up the occupied territories as part of a peace treaty.

Questions raised by the director are interspersed with comments from Palestinians and confrontations between settlers and Israeli pacifists.

The film asks: In this never ending conflict, where the spilled blood makes every stone a symbol - where every image is fraught with meaning - is it possible to see and hear things as they are?

"This short but powerful documentary sheds light on life in and around the Gaza Strip, the densely populated zone of Palestinian poverty and despair." - Library Journal

"The film presents a wide range of views on the [Palestinian and Israeli conflict] via a panorama that presents life near the Erez Crossing from Israel into Gaza, and the daily litany of obstacles faced. Both the filmmaker and the Palestinian participants question the value of a film as a catalyst for change under such dire circumstances. Nevertheless, the further deterioration of life in Gaza...stresses the importance of reminding the world that the Palestinians are not merely casualties in the newspaper headlines, but human beings with dreams, emotions, and a persevering sense of humor. The film contributes to our understanding of the average Palestinian family." - Al Jadid, A Review & Record of Arab Culture and Arts

"Plunges you into Gaza's world of terror and want... tries to fight [the] stifled horror by showing the reality. The director takes you into the intimacy of a Gazan family and lets you see the exasperation." - Le Monde Diplomatique

"An excellent window into the mind of someone who hopes to create peace and justice and is unsure of how exactly to do that, (...) captur(ing) the uncertainty and disillusionment that can happen. In the end... it puts forth questions that may be uncomfortable for those of us working for peace." - Online Journal for Peace and Conflict Resolution