Sharon

In 2003 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon instigated his “Disengagement Plan”, which would see the dismantling of 21 Jewish Settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It was a puzzling step for a man who was once known to some as the “butcher of Beirut” due to his alleged responsibility for the bloody Sabra and Shatila massacre when he was Defence Minister in 1982 during the Lebanon war. What could have caused the change of heart and political u-turn for a right-wing hardliner? Perhaps we will never be sure, since Sharon suffered a stroke in 2006 and is now in a coma, with little hope of recovery. Nonetheless this documentary sets out to explore the political leader and ex-military General’s biography to try to find answers. It looks at Sharon’s family history and gathers insights from international political figures such as Condoleezza Rice and Joschka Fischer. From hero of the “Six-day war” to endorser of the “Road Map to Peace”, Sharon’s life is inextricably linked to the course of Israeli history. (DOK.fest München)