Blog Post #5

The documentary movie, Promises, explains the conflict between Palestinian people and Israel people. And the movie also shows the complication of the life of seven children: Moishe, Mahmoud, Shlomo, Yarko, Daniel, Faraj and Sanabel. The Promises Film Project team supported some of them to get together and to play. In the end the documentary, they discussed about the problem of Palestinian people and Israel people. Several year’s later, The Promises Film Project team created update of the film. In the update, the team interviewed children. In the interview, some children partially show their opinion against the conflict. This fact tells that their opinion had changed by time. Even though, their problem shift from racial one to their environment. This means they are started think about each other’s side. As a proof, Shlomo, the boy who did not participated to get together, refused interviews. It shows that the meeting they participated clearly changed their mind.
Israel is a jewish country with the population of 7,170,000. And 20.7% of them are Arabic. The conflict happening in Israel comes from religious and racial problem. Judaism and Muslim consider this land as holy land. Consequently, they both argue the land is theirs and other should leave. The story takes place in Jerusalem. And the seven children live in this place. Daniel and Yarko are Israeli boys living in west Jerusalem, secular Jews, put off more by religious Jews than Palestinians. Moishe, Mahmoud, Faraj and Sanabel are Palestinian who live in Palestinian quorter. And Shlomo is a orthodox Jewish boy who did not participated to get together and refused interview. These children are living inside the city with many racial problem. For example, Moishe’s best friend get killed by Israeli soldier. It caused his hate to Jewish people. In a school of Mahmoud, teacher strongly support the idea against Jewish. Faraj’s house is completely destroyed be Jewish. In the movie, he sit on the stone which was originally part of his house. And these problem complicate their life. However the team tried to bring Daniel and Yarko to Palestinian quarter to see their reaction to each other. When they started communication, their mind had changed. They started to see each other as a individual men rather than Arab or Jewish. Several years later, children met each other shifted their opinion against race to opinion to country they are living.
As a conclusion, the documentary clearly shows the problem caused by lack of communication. The project team actually asked them to communicate and it changed their mind against race to opinion to country itself. In my opinion, the communication is crucial for those country with many conflict. Because the lack of communication cause more conflict rather than understanding each other. In the movie they achieved to communicate and started thinking about understanding each other.
"Israel." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
"The Promises Film Project." The Promises Film Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Promises. Dir. Justine Shapiro. Perf. BZ Goldberg. 2001. Film.