Documentary Production and Distribution News
New Documentary Shares Hope in Midst of Violence
By Staff
posted Sep 2, 2010, 22:00
Little Town of Bethlehem honestly and respectfully shares Sami's, Yonatan's, and Ahmad's stories. With all three men referencing both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi during individual interviews, it is clear that their words, thoughts, and actions on nonviolence still profoundly impact today's nonviolent movement.
(Oklahoma City) Preparations are underway for peace talks between Israeli and
Palestinian leaders at the White House. Netanyahu and Abbas have agreed to initiate
negotiations, hoping to reach a peaceful settlement within one year that will
result in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian
state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.
As hope for negotiated peace once again begins to gain momentum; a very timely
and highly compelling documentary about the conflict releases in October. Little
Town of Bethlehem from EthnoGraphic Media (EGM) addresses the growing nonviolence
movement in Palestine and Israel. The film tells the story of three courageous
men from opposite sides of the conflict who, at great personal cost, have already
discovered the key to a nonviolent resolution to this seemingly intractable
conflict. Produced by Mart Green, directed by Jim Hanon, and filmed on location
in the West Bank, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, Little Town of Bethlehem brings awareness
to a growing nonviolent movement in the Middle East that rarely, if ever, makes
international headlines.
EGM will launch its national grassroots campaign on September 21st. Nine select
campuses (from Boston to Berkeley) will be hosting launch screenings of Little
Town of Bethlehem. Faculty experts will join the film's three protagonists,
director, and producer in discussions around nonviolent solutions to the ongoing
conflict. Beyond that, more than 150 colleges and universities in the US as
well as the EU have committed to campus screenings beginning in late September.
The protagonists are Sami Awad, a Palestinian Christian whose grandfather was
killed in Jerusalem in 1948. Today he is the executive director of Holy Land
Trust, a non-profit organization that promotes Palestinian independence through
peaceful means. Yonatan Shapira is an Israeli Jew whose grandparents were Zionist
settlers who witnessed the birth of the Israeli nation. Today he is an outspoken
advocate for the nonviolent peace movement, both in his homeland and abroad.
Ahmad Al' Azzah is a Palestinian Muslim who has lived his entire life in the
Azzah refugee camp in Bethlehem. Today, Ahmad heads the nonviolence program
at Holy Land Trust, where he trains others in the methods of peaceful activism.
Little Town of Bethlehem honestly and respectfully shares Sami's, Yonatan's,
and Ahmad's stories. With all three men referencing both Martin Luther King,
Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi during individual interviews, it is clear that their
words, thoughts, and actions on nonviolence still profoundly impact today's
nonviolent movement. Little Town of Bethlehem is not just about educating and
inspiring viewers, this film raises the question, "can the cycle of violence
be broken?"
View the trailer at http://littletownofbethlehem.org
Resources:
http://littletownofbethlehem.org
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