LAND
By Orly Yadin
1st person documentary feature
LAND is a first-person feature documentary that explores how national identity is constructed—and how it changes when the stories we inherit are questioned.
Born into a family of influential Zionist thinkers and archaeologists whose work helped shape the ideology of early Israel, I set out to examine the foundations of the worldview that defined my upbringing. The film unfolds as a metaphorical archaeological excavation: digging through layers of family history, ideology, and memory. Archival home movies, photographs, and newsreels intersect with present-day conversations with Israelis and Palestinians. Animated sequences bring imagined encounters with my ancestors to life, allowing the past to speak directly to the present. As the excavation deepens, the film reveals the blind spots embedded in the national narrative that shaped my entire generation. LAND ultimately becomes both a personal reckoning and a broader reflection on how identities—personal and national—are formed, sustained, and transformed.
Writer/Director/Producer – Orly Yadin
Cinematographer/Editor – Nora Jacobson
Executive Producers – Barbara Bordwell McGrew; E. W. Stetson
Land is currently in post-production seeking financial support to complete the film. Land‘s fiscal sponsor is VTIFF, a non-profit 501c3. All contributions via VTIFF are tax-deductible. If you’d like further information, please send your query to Orly Yadin in the Contact Form below.