Makom, avoda

In 1981, twenty five Israeli families founded the moshav Shekef, a co-operative farming village close by the large Palestinian town of Beth Awah (7,000 inhabitants). On either side of the green line – the pre-1967 border – the moshav and the town stand face to face. At the outset, the inhabitants of the moshav work the land themselves, but very soon they call on the help of youngsters from the neighbouring town. In 1988, when the Intifada first broke out, one of the moshav members was killed. So far, despite investigations, the killers have not been identified. Yet, the young Palestinian workers were sent home jobless the very next day. Subsequently, as was later the case throughout Israel, it was decided to replace the exclusively Palestinian labour force by foreign workers who come from far afield, particularly from Thailand. The film tells the story of a three-cornered relationship in a place (makom) of work (avoda).