Holy Land A Nonpartisan Observer's Year in the West Bank
Essential viewing for Middle East studies and for campuses engaged in debate about the Israel-Paelstine conflict, the film zeroes in on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and the Israelis and Palestinians who oppose them.
Director/producer Peter Cohn comes to the story with an outsider's unaffiliated perspective, gaining intimate access to the lives of key players on both sides. They include an LA-born Orthodox Israeli settler, a millenial Palestinian journalist inspired by the Arab Spring, an unconventional settler rabbi, and the progressive mayor of a Palestinian town.
As the action shifts from Palestinian villages to Israeli settlements, there are many unexpected turns: blood is shed, loved ones are lost, and homes are destroyed.
Holy Land is also a story of families with children growing up and grandfathers facing death, of generational passage in a land of conflict and faith, and of the rhythms of life in a majestic landscape of mountains, deserts, vineyards and olive orchards.
With no preaching and an uflinching focus on the realities on the ground, Holy Land is a film that challenges conventional viewpoints about the Palestine-Israel conflict. A valuable resource for balanced discussion around such flashpoint issues as BDS, the two-state solution and the US approach to peace negotiations.
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Comments (2)
A masterful non-partisan view of what's going on on the ground in Israel. A must see for anyone who is interested in learning more abut the Arab-Israeli situation.
If you are on a college campus where there is heated debate about the Palestine-Israel conflict, you are the prime audience for this film.
I made "Holy Land" to engage people on ALL sides of the issue. BDS activists. Mainstream Hillel. And the cynical or apathetic. It's a film that ...Read more
If you are on a college campus where there is heated debate about the Palestine-Israel conflict, you are the prime audience for this film.
I made "Holy Land" to engage people on ALL sides of the issue. BDS activists. Mainstream Hillel. And the cynical or apathetic. It's a film that doesn't preach or condemn -- my hope is that it can offer a common point of reference for people who are so divided, so opposed, that even sitting in the same room may seem untenable. I suggest joining together to watch the film!
"Holy Land" shows a dramatic year in the lives of remarkable Palestinians and Israelis living in the West Bank. It focuses on Israeli settlers, and the Israelis and Palestinians who oppose them. They are religious and secular, extremist and moderate, party faithful and freethinkers. It’s about NOW, about daily struggles, and not another debate about history.
I'm Jewish -- I'm not religious, but care deeply about my Jewish identity -- but I made this film with no partisan support or affiliation of any kind. Of course I can't claim to be objective. I don't think anyone can. So I look forward to hearing from students who challenge my nonpartisanship. I'm also happy to hear from anyone who thinks I succeeded in making an even-handed film about this toxically radioactive issue.
The film isn't about who is right and wrong. It's about why we should give a damn.
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