Rule of Stone

Rule of Stone is a documentary film that exposes the power of architecture – aesthetically, ideologically and strategically – in the creation of modern Jerusalem. In 1967, Israel conquered East Jerusalem, including the Old City, where the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Haram al-Sharif, are located. Almost immediately, the city was declared the united and indivisible capital of the State of Israel, with a goal not only to make any re-division of the city materially impossible but also aesthetically disruptive. The film takes the viewer on a journey to understand how design took part in the invisible war of annexation. Like the British before them, Israelis mandated that the exterior of every building be clad in Jerusalem stone, simulating Palestinian architecture and making their domination over the city seem continuous, even inevitable. The film thus raises questions about the moral responsibility of architects and shows how beauty and abuse may go hand in hand.