zaytoun

"... lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, its oil all but giving off light even if no fire touches it"

I filmed the sunrise over Jordan in a Palestinian olive grove.
The pre dawn call to prayer surrounded us as we walked through the dusty avenues of trees.
For some reason I felt tears welling in my eyes, here felt close to heaven, the ancient Roman olive boughs touched by the first grains of light. The rolling sandy expanse of the Jordan Valley fell away before us as we set up the camera. Then, after a few minutes, the great orange orb of the sun crept up over the Jordan hills. Soft heat like thick oil flowed over us, and we waited. The world drew breath, and the village came gradually to life. Another day in Palestine.