"...potent viewing as a portrait of a steadfast activist with a controversial cause." New York Times

Sundance Film Festival
DOC NYC
Palm Springs International Film Festival

Lea Tsemel defends Palestinians: from feminists to fundamentalists, from nonviolent demonstrators to armed militants. As a Jewish-Israeli lawyer who has represented political prisoners for five decades, Tsemel is tireless in her quest for justice. As far as most Israelis are concerned, she defends the indefensible. As far as Palestinians are concerned, she's more than an attorney, she’s an ally. This gripping documentary sees directing duo Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche assume the privileged position of a fly on the wall of Tsemel’s practice, following her caseload in real time, including the high-profile trial of a 13-year-old boy, while also revisiting her landmark cases throughout her career.

Israel, Canada, Switzerland - 2019 - 1h 54m
Directed By: Rachel Leah Jones, Philippe Bellaiche
Written By: Rachel Leah Jones
Starring: Lea Tsemel

Director Biography - Rachel Leah Jones

Rachel Leah Jones Born in Berkeley, California in 1970 and raised between Berkeley and Tel Aviv, Jones is a critically acclaimed award-winning documentary filmmaker whose directing credits include: 500 DUNAM ON THE MOON (2002) commissioned by France Channel 2; ASHKENAZ (2007) commissioned by Israel Channel 8; TARGETED CITIZEN (2010) commissioned by Adalah: the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel; GYPSY DAVY (2012) commissioned by Israel Channel 8 (Sundance 2012); and ADVOCATE (2019) commissioned by BBC Storyville, SWR/NDR, RTS, and Radio Canada among others (Sundance 2019). In addition to making her own films, Jones has produced extensively with others and has been affiliated with progressive media outlets such as DEMOCRACY NOW! in New York.