Look for the arts to hasten the
"The arts can engage our humanity and
deepen our understanding of difficult social issues, "
says Leah Lamb ( LeahLamb@gmail.com ), creator of the new Performance
Initiative -- http://www.performanceinitiative.org/
.
Consider these examples:
The
power of cinema can strongly influence and reflect the human condition. Film
can portray what is inspirational or spiritually destructive.
". . .we are struck by
the increasing worldwide power that the film and television media have in
shaping the values of people throughout the world," says Cinema in Focus (
http://www.cinemainfocus.com/
).
"Today, even the worst films produced in the
"We strongly urge people who are
concerned about the spiritual health of our world to understand the impact that
the media has in our lives, and to encourage those who make moral stories
which come to life on the screen.
"One film which includes positive spiritual
values can reach over a billion people in less than 90 days."
Two new cinema examples of
positive films for the
1. TALKING PEACE
This is the best film in North America about
Palestinian-Jewish Living Room Dialogue.
TALKING PEACE takes viewers inside a San Diego
Dialogue and tells a compelling story of two sides coming together through the
simple act of listening.
In the living room of Jim Rauch, a Jew, and his wife
Doris Bittar, an Arab, the stage has been set to
create an alternative to living with hatred.
In their home, Jews and Palestinians share their
stories and their pain governed by only one rule: to truly listen to each
other.
Although the documentary gives viewers an insight into
the history of unrest, the story is more about the people than the politics, of
a region in which both side continue to exchange claims and blame and bombs.
Among the participants are a businessman, a teacher,
an artist, a karate instructor, a physicist and an engineer.
Compelling, first-hand narratives, documented with
poignant archival footage, provide a perspective of how their lives have been
shaped by the violence and fear that haunts Palestinians and Israelis in the
REVIEWS:
"...a magnificent piece....There are moments in this film that I do not
think I will forget....Its raw immediacy brings the transforming power of
dialogue to new audiences."
Dr. Farid Abdel-Nour, Faculty Coordinator
Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies at San Diego
State University
"Talking Peace" Documents Jewish/Palestinian Rapprochement"
http://sdsuniverse.sdsu.edu/story.asp?id=26157
"Peace of the Puzzle"
http://www.sdjewishjournal.com/stories/feb05_3.html
2. WEST
BANK STORY
340 Cloverdale Avenue (#304), Los Angeles, CA 90036
A little singing, a little dancing, a lot of
hummus -- WEST BANK STORY is a musical comedy by Ari Sandel, to complete his 2005 Master of Fine Arts degree at
the University of Southern California.
The film's quality belies Ari's
own youth and understanding of humor to help Palestinians, Jews, and everyone
discover our frustration and pain, and especially our desire to do better, be
courageous, and create a new, excellent life for ourselves one by one.
- - - - - - - - - - -
This Sundance Film Festival official selection is set
in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falalfel
stands in the West Bank.
WEST BANK STORY is about David, an Israeli soldier,
and Fatima, a Palestinian fast food cashier - an unlikely couple who fall in
love amidst the animosity of their families' dueling falafel stands in the
The question is posed: Can the couple's love
withstand a century-old conflict and their families' desire to control the
future of the chic pea in the
Tensions mount when the Kosher King's new pastry
machine juts onto Hummus Hut property. The Palestinians ruin the machine
and the Israelis respond by building a wall between the two eating
establishments.
The couple professes their love for each other,
triggering a chain of events that destroys both restaurants and forces all to
find common ground in an effort to rebuild, planting a seed of hope.
Reflecting producer Ari Sandel's spirit, twenty-five percent of WEST BANK STORY sales will be gifted
equally to two projects in the
Hand in Hand schools seek to spark
revolutionary change in Israeli education and society by establishing a new
educational paradigm: integrated, bilingual schools where Jewish and Arab
children and their families learn and grow together. Hand in Hands mission is
to catalyze the creation of a network of integrated schools around the country,
providing Jewish and Arab parents the option to send their children to schools
where they can learn and interact with all their neighbors. They are on the Web
at:
The Parents' Circle - Bereaved Families Forum
is nearly 500 Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost loved ones in the
conflict. Yet they reject violence, travelling and
speaking side by side to call on both peoples to reconcile, in the spirit of
WEST BANK STORY. Always Arab and Jew together, they facilitate classroom
Dialogue sessions in high schools, promote the "Hello Peace"
telephone chat line for communication between Palestinians and Israelis,
hold a summer camp for the children, and tour the Middle East and North America
creating hope in the hearts of both peoples. They are on the Web at: