dirkblaze Saw this at the Sundance FF and had the privilege of sitting through a Q&A with the director, early one morning (a good time to attend films at Sundance, everyone else is asleep until noon." I can tell you that not absolutely everything in this documentary is completely "unscripted," but the substance absolutely is. Most documentaries are like that.A great look at life in occupied Palestinian. Answers the question: "what's it like to get to work through road blocks (through which you cannot drive a car) every 5 miles or so..." Interesting, sad, funny - you will laugh out loud, also hopeful, human, tragic.Follows the life of a "taxi" driver, but several notable Palestinian and other figures are interviewed (in the back of the taxi). A story you will hear nowhere else.I recommend it!

sushidot Very inspiring film. Three years ago I visited Ramallah with no idea what the conditions of the city were or the political atmosphere. Just by chance, I stumbled upon this film on the sundance channel and quickly noticed where it was set. Ford Transit does justice on showing the audience the hardships and inconveinences that Palestinians face on a day to day basis just getting around. I recall from my trip hearing the stories of going through checkpoints and then finally going through several myself. Its interesting to watch this film then watch Paradise Now or Rana's Wedding to draw the parallels from creation to actual. Also, a savvy viewer will notice that many of the passengers in the Ford vans are famous Palestinian and Israeli celebrities and politicians.

jjlasne Although a little dated by now, this documentary is a must see for those who are interested in finding out how Palestinians live and survive in the occupied territories. The action is live, there is no professional actor, nothing is made up or scripted and we come along for a ride from the territories to Israel and how the driver must weasel and hustle his way around concrete barriers, the Israeli military and general traffic hassle. The Ford Transit is the vehicle of choice and ironically, as explained in the film, was given by the Israeli police department to the Palestinian Authority for its population' s transportation needs. I strongly recommend this documentary for anyone interested in the events in the Middle East and an insight into daily Palestinians' lives.

tonebone Caution: Spoilers within.A while back, MTV used to air a wonderful show in which a taxicab was fitted with a camera and mic, and the audience got to see all sorts of wonderful personalities as they would ride the cab and converse with the driver and give us all sorts of funny and weird "confessionals".Hany Abu-Asad seems to have taken this idea one step further in "Ford Transit", by using taxicab confessionals as a way to showcase the views and opinions of a large number of Palestinians, as well as depicting the their hectic way of life as they try to cross from checkpoint to checkpoint using a Ford Transit taxicab.We get to see everyone in the taxi, and i mean everyone!! Prominent Palestinian political figures like Hanan Ashrawi and Azmi Bishara; older women; fat men; lawyers; waiters; younger kids. All of them sitting in the back of a taxicab telling us what he/she thinks of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the peace process, Bush, the Israelis, checkpoints, and so on....Reigning as the supreme confessional, however, is the dialogue with Rajai, the young photogenic driver of the taxicab, as we watch him hustle his way through checkpoints, drive his cab over dirt roads to avoid surprise searches, and serve as a reality-check to the lofty, idealistic words sometimes expounded by his passengers. Rajai symbolizes the everyday hustle that young Palestinians have to become to survive in Palestine.What I liked most about this movie, however, was that the director Hany Abu-Asad himself, in interviewing the passengers in the taxicab, was always willing to play the role of the devil's advocate: trying to pose questions from the Israeli point of view and challenging the Palestinian occupants to see things not only from their side, but also from the other side.... ..this is movie's ultimate triumph, in my opinion! Not only does it serve to show us a vibrant and sometimes exasperating slice of Palestinian life, but it also questions the Palestinian/Arab viewer to think deeply about issues like the effect of suicide bombings, and whether they serve any meaningful purpose.Everyone should go see this movie. Well done.