I have recently become somewhat obsessed with Israel. I instinctually sense that in order to even begin to grasp the richness and complexities of that land, I need to place my own two feet in its sands, focus my own eyes on the daily coming and goings of Jews and Arabs living there, taste, smoke, and drink everything the locals do, and sleep underneath that desert sky.
I don't expect to understand, or feel any less devastated about the infamous war after spending time there. But the cells at the core of my body yearn to dive strait into the mysterious land of milk and honey..
I've watched at least 10 Israeli films in the last two months, most of them nothing less than profound and captivating. The cultural uniqueness of Israel has become blaringly obvious to me through watching these films, whose characters are psychologically and emotionally complex, and most importantly, they are RAW. They express themselves-- their feelings, thoughts, emotions and dreams to eachother. The characters are often harsh, aggressive when they need to be- they are also passionate, affectionate and incredibly sensual. They fuck like nothing I've ever seen in an American or even a European film! They spend time cooking and savor their flavors amongst friends and family. I realize I am watching fiction- nonetheless, I sense from these films a culture in which I need to marinate for a while..
Encounterpoint is a documentary- the only documentary I have watched in this 2 month long run of Israeli film mania. It is a mindblowing trip into forgiveness, resilience and hope. The film, created by a team in Brookyln called Justvision, chronicles 8 or 10 people (Jews and Arabs) who have lost a husband, a wife, a child, a sister or a brother, to the conflict. Rather than seeking revenge on the killers, these bereaving individuals band together with "the other" and then together they travel around Israel and the territories to work for peace. "Working for peace" translates like this: A 35 year old Palestinian man drives every day to the West Bank with an Israeli woman in his car- the woman whose son happened to kill his sister. Together they go to the West Bank and talk to Palestinians about the fact that Jews are not inherently bad people. They talk about the fragility and beauty of individual souls.
Another example: An Israeli woman whose son was killed in a suicide bombing, bands together with the mother of the suicide bomber. Together, they travel around Israel to educate about the evil and irrational nature of hatred between Jews and Arabs. They discuss the danger and wrongness of stereotyping.
Let's face it: If these people can find it in their hearts and bodies to step out of their comfort zones, forgive and love eachother, then we all need to think about what we do and don't forgive and love in ourslevs and in others..
The people in the film are unfortunately exceptions. There is immeasurable hate and mistrust amongst Israelis and Palestinians. But this documentary highlights the importance of grassroots efforts and of ART, in communicating about peace efforts, in encouraging and inspiring change.
I am working on bringing in the film and perhaps someone from the justvision team in November 08 to discuss the film as part of a commemmoration for the late Yitzhak Rabin. This film speaks perfectly to the legacy of that peace seeking leader. I am collaborating with two amazing professors, one from DU and one from Metro to produce what I envision as a multi-disciplinary program of the Mizel Museum, Starz, the Denver Film Socity, CU Denver and Metro.
And here I close with the mighty Margaret Meade, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has"
check out Jusvision and encounterpoint: http://www.encounterpoint.com/index.php
keep up the good work..
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