Hila Shalem Baharad

“Ma’abarot” is the first documentary project unfolding the story of the Israeli transit camps. The transit camps were a controversial enterprise, housing hundreds of thousands of new immigrants from different parts of the world, transitioning them into becoming part of the Israeli cultural tapestry. The film unravels the many stories of the camp residents, examining and discovering many surprising new details, shattering common stereotypes in the current Israeli discourse.

A four episodes documentary series that unveils one of the most controversial topics in the history of the Israeli state. Rare archival materials and testimonials of former residents tell the stories of the 'Ma'abrot' (refugee absorption camps meant to provide accommodation for the large influx of Jewish refugees in Israel in the 1950s), and the institutional discrimination towards its inhabitants — Jewish immigrants from North Africa and Middle East.