RAMALLAH, West Bank — Eight Palestinians who are the subjects of the documentary "Gaza" have in common that their lives have changed by the siege in the Gaza Strip, but other than that, these major and minor characters — among whom are a cello player, a youth with little prospects and an ambulance driver — cannot be more different from one another.

Directed by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell, the 92-minute documentary captures both the diversity and the commonalities of the Gaza Strip, casting an unorthodox glance at the situation on the ground over a longer period of time than most other films. The film took four years to make, starting in 2014.

The directors, who explain the narrative behind the documentary on the "Gaza" official website, have noted that they have met Palestinians from all walks of life through a cast of major and minor characters. “The siege, brought on by history, Israel, Hamas and the abandonment of the international community, is the villain of our story,” the website reads.

One of the characters in the documentary is Ahmed, who was barely 12 years old when the team began shooting the documentary in 2014. From a poor family, Ahmed has 40 siblings since his father married three women. He loves fishing and he dreams of becoming a “big shot” at the port and owning a large fishing boat. But the difficult living conditions have prevented him from fulfilling his dream, and so he begins participating in the Great Return March protests at the Gaza border. Ibrahim Abu Kas, an ambulance worker in Gaza who has lived through three wars, also participated every Friday in the marches. His job brings him in contact with injured protesters on the verge of death, which makes him aware of the risk he takes when participating in the marches and in his everyday work when he rushes to troubled areas to save lives, not knowing if he will become a casualty himself.