Jewish Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel and her Palestinian colleagues have been working for decades representing their clients in an increasingly conservative Israel. To many, Lea is a traitor who defends the indefensible. For others, she's more than an attorney – she’s a true ally.
Advocate
Synopsis
Jewish-Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel and her Palestinian colleagues have been working for decades representing their clients in an increasingly conservative Israel. We meet Lea and the team as they prepare for their youngest defendant yet – Ahmad, a 13-year-old boy implicated in a knife attack on the streets of Jerusalem. Together they must counter legal and public opposition and prepare Ahmad who, like other Palestinians charged with serious crimes, will face a difficult trial in a country in which the government, court system and the media are stacked against him. To many, Lea is a traitor who defends the indefensible. For others, she's more than an attorney – she’s a true ally.
“I’m an Israeli occupier, no matter what I do. I ‘enjoy’ the fruits of occupation, both bitter and sweet... Who gave me the moral right to judge the people who resist my occupation?... So in that sense if the act is intended to resist the occupation, as such, I’ll take [the case] on.” - Lea Tsemel, film subject, Advocate
Courtesy of Cinephil.
Official selection, Sundance Film Festival 2019
“This is an important film – it raises questions about issues of fair trials, entrenched discrimination and the manner in which political and other considerations factor into cases involving Palestinians.”- Khulood Badawi, Consultant, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch