October 25, 2003 — Mudeif Productions

*Jenin children do homework while stuck on the bus at the Israeli checkpoint.*

Today we went to the school to film Sawsan, another one of our film subjects. She works at the school and lives in Jenin, so takes the school bus every day back and forth (at least when it can get back and forth). After school we piled onto the aging bus with the rest of the kids, who were tickled to have us with them. It was nice to be with the students again (especially when we don't have to maintain classroom discipline).

After twenty minutes, we arrived at the checkpoint. And we were told to wait. Beside us were two UN vehicles and an ambulance, and on the other side another ambulance - all of them also told to wait. Marthame and the driver went to talk with a soldier standing on the tank. He said, "OK. Bring the bus forward." We boarded the bus, just as a jeep came to supplement the tank. We crept forward. "Hey you!" barked a loudspeaker from the jeep. "I'm talking to you! Back up!" Marthame moved to step off the bus, at which point the tank's gun barrel pivoted towards the bus. Marthame got back on.

The children took out their homework and started doing it on the bus seats. Many complained of needing to go to the bathroom or needing to eat or drink - some of them as young as five years old. After about an hour and a half, the jeep left, and there was some movement. The ambulances and UN cars were let through. Marthame went down again to speak with one of the soldiers, explaining that this was a school bus with children going home to Jenin. "OK. Yella, go." Finally, we thought. We started up the bus and crept forward, at which point we were shouted back. "Where do you think you're going? You can't pass." Marthame went down again.

"These children want to go home."

"OK, so they can go home to Zababdeh."

"They don't live in Zababdeh. They live in Jenin."

One of the teachers showed her ID just to prove the point. Finally, after two and a half long hours (without access to a bathroom or water or food), the bus was allowed to pass.

We arrived too late for a real lunch with our hosts, so we had lupper. Or is it sunch? linner? dunch? Lunch became lunch and supper, and we all felt exhausted, going to sleep early.