SUMMARY
The film crew follows a team of American ultra-marathoners as they run through the West Bank, from Hebron to Jenin (129 miles over 5 days) to raise awareness about the struggles facing olive farmers in Palestine and to replant uprooted olive trees. The “Run Across Palestine,” a project of an organization called On The Ground, aimed to reestablish sustainable olive-growing practices in a place where the economy, culture, and identity are deeply tied to this ancient tree. The runners faced many barriers along the way – barriers that represented a microcosm of what their Palestinian friends face every day. Along the way, they forged deep bonds with their hosts while witnessing the harsh political reality and uplifting beauty of life in the West Bank.
The run was supported by the Palestine Fair Trade Association, a collective of over 1700 small-scale farmers in the West Bank who have embraced fair trade practices to sustain their future and to sell their products worldwide. This uplifting film chronicles the drama of the run, the challenges encountered along the way, and the farmers’ uplifting stories.