LAND
A first person documentary feature by Orly Yadin
Born in Israel shortly after 1948 into a family of prominent Zionist thinkers—including archaeologists and nation-builders who helped shape the ideology of the new state—I inherited a powerful national identity from birth. LAND is a first-person documentary that excavates that inheritance.
Through archival home movies, interviews with Israelis and Palestinians, and animated encounters with my own ancestors, the film explores the four pillars that helped construct the identity of the “New Jew”: language, land, archaeology, and the creation of a people’s army. Many of these projects were led or influenced by members of my own family.
As I dig through these personal and historical layers, the film becomes a metaphorical archaeological excavation—revealing how the narratives that shaped my generation also created blind spots. Gradually, new voices emerge, and Palestinian stories reshape my understanding of the land we share.
LAND is both a personal reckoning and a broader reflection on how national identities are built—and how they can change when we begin to see what was once invisible.
Land‘s projected completion date is June 30, 2026. That’s when the last stage of filmmaking begins – We need to produce a trailer and other promotion materials, we need to submit the film to festivals and we need to clear the rights to the archival footage we have used. The latter is no doubt the most costly of all.
The total amount we need for this stage is $17,000, of which we have already raised $15,000 – Only $2,000 left to go.
Please help us get the film out into the world! All donations will be very much appreciated.
Land‘s fiscal sponsor is VTIFF, a non-profit 501(c)3. All contributions via VTIFF are tax-deductible. You may pay online via THIS LINK, or make a check to VTIFF, indicating it is for LAND, and mail it to VTIFF, P. O. Box 483, Burlington, VT 05402.
If you’d like further information, please send your query to Orly Yadin in the Contact Form below.