Three Promises, from Yousef Srouji, is the story of a family living through a very difficult situation—Palestine, during the Second Intifada. It is told through family videos taken by his mother, Suha, with voiceover commentary from Yousef’s interviews with her. The family lived in the village of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. Some of the footage…
The Israeli-Palestinian situation is obviously complex and often controversial. It has been an area of conflict for nearly a century—even before the establishment of the state of Israel. Documentary filmmakers Idit Avrahami and Noam Sheizaf seek to show the Palestinian city of Hebron as a microcosm of what is happening there Israel/Palestine in H2: The…
“My dad used to say that the beginning of liberation is to raise your flag. The highest level of liberation is to burn it.” In Alam (The Flag), directed by Firas Khoury, we see Palestinian youth struggling with a world in which they have had no voice. It is not just that they live under…
Even before the current violence in Gaza, the history of Israeli-Palestinian interactions has been filled with violence and death in both groups. It is easy to forget that each of those deaths lead to a grieving family. In Mourning in Lod, documentary filmmaker Hilla Medalia uses two of those deaths (and a life that grew…
Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias is essentially a way for the filmmaker to get a better understanding of her roots. But, as we watch, we also get to understand a bit about life as exiles (be it involuntary or the result of personal choice). It brings a decidedly female perspective on life in Palestine in…
“Undoubtedly, the tremendous forces of history will cause the leader to fail to change reality as he wanted, but the leader’s primary obligation is to try to act.” Do leaders actually have the ability to change the world? Or are there so many factors involved that they are just one small force among many? What…
?The truth has its own power. . . . The power of the truth cannot be hidden, and when it?s hot, it surfaces and more people ask questions.? In 1948, Israel became a nation. Immediately, they were at war with the Arab world. Among Israelis this is known as the War of Independence. The Palestinians…
Yes, there are more films to cover from Slamdance, especially short films, so let?s catch up on some of them. The festival awards have been announced, and I note some of the winners here. Little Berlin (15 minutes), directed by Kate McMullen, is based on a true story. When Germany was divided after World War…
The films I?ve chosen for today are very much focused on issues that touch the lives of many people. These are films that in many ways are ?ripped from headlines?. It?s worth noting that two of the films include coverage of issues dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, even though that is not the main point…
In this jam-packed, lightning round episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we cover four fascinating topics in just one hour! First, mask mandates go away as we seem to be approaching the end of the pandemic. What’s our experience so far and how do we handle the inevitable cultural friction of the moment? Next…
