Promises
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Movie Reviews of Promises
Movie Review: Extremely Thought Provoking,I Came To Love ALL The Kids!
Summary: 5 Stars
This film has the most balanced view that I have yet seen on the Palestinian/Israli conflict. Now if the same thing could only be done with adults as the main characters as well! There were a couple hard-nosed,close-minded "jerks" on both sides who had no interest in meeting,but I really came to love "all" the kids, Palestinian and Jew, who were interested and willing to meet. I got choked up and teary-eyed several times while watching.It is sad,sweet,and incredibly well done. It really grabs you from the start and you really get to know and like the main characters,and dislike the jerks! So you get to see good-hearted kids from both sides,and also the extremists from both sides.
I was shocked in watching this, and "Death In Gaza", how "slummy" the Palestinian areas are! I must admit after reading The U.S. is the single largest non-Muslim contributor of assistance to the Palestinian people, a fact not widely known. The U.S. has been giving an average of about $85 million per year in foreign aid to the Palestinians since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. Most of the aid has been channeled through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to contractors and private voluntary organizations. (Outside of regular foreign aid, the U.S. has provided funds to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) since 1950 and is also the largest donor to this U.N. program for Palestinian refugees.)On top of all the other foreign-aid they get from other donors,that they live in such slums!
I can't help but wonder what they do with all that money? I mean they don't have to worry about suicide bombers coming into their areas,so why don't they clean the place up,for pity's sake?
I cannot help but feel they do not HAVE to live in such conditions. The absolute,complete lack of any evidence of anyone even trying to improve their living conditions,really struck me. It was just so glaringly obvious,that those thoughts would just not be silenced while I watched.
It seems they are chronic complainers who can only blame others for their plight,rather than even attempt to improve things for themselves. They have lived in those slums for how long now? My city has projects complexes that have residents who at least clean up around the places and plant flowers and they look "upscale" compared to what I have seen of Palestine! And they don't even get money handed to them to help,either.
So this film raised some questions for me,but it really is a great film,and the DVD extras were wonderful as well,such as the updates on the kids. One could only wish that every Arab and Israli would see it. I ended up agreeing with points from both sides! However,one can't miss that the Palestinians have no desire for a seperate Palestinian state,they just want all of Israel back!
Movie Review: Life-affirming and hopeful, in spite of everything...
Summary: 5 Stars
I first saw PROMISES when it first appeared - belatedly - on DVD in 2004, and purchased a copy shortly thereafter. It is without a doubt the finest documentary of recent years; I'm forever shocked that it didn't win the Oscar it was nominated for.
Documentarians Justine Shapiro, Carlos Bolado and B.Z. Goldberg (Goldberg grew up in Israel) travel to Israel and the West Bank, in the hopes of gleaning some new perspectives on the grueling and seeimingly intractable divisions between Israel and the Palestinian people. PROMISES - the result - is built around a lengthy series of interviews with children, both Israeli and Palestinian, in which the filmmakers seek to discover their opinions on the conflict and their hopes for solutions, capturing a very vivid slice-of-life on both sides of the fences and checkpoints in the process.
The results are complex, immensely moving filmmaking. The varied children have approriated any number of their parents prejudices, but over the course of the film those prejudices (and prejudice in general) shows itself to be refreshingly transitory if (AND ONLY IF) the individual in question can also carry some sense of hope, whether for a better world, or a better personal future. And not a single one of the children seen onscreen here has given up on anything; and a great flexibility in thought reveals itself by the films' end.
This could be written off as a side effect of maturity; and a child's growing sense of world-awareness (these kids are all pretty much adults by the end of the DVD supplements, which are very critical viewing, and not expendable extras), but implicit throughout PROMISES is that adults can also learn a few things here: there's a time to dig in and stand your ground, and then there are also times when one should have a civil discussion and listen to what opponents actually have to say, or what opponents actually feel.
Ultimately, PROMISES doesn't - can't answer all of the questions surrounding the ongoing crises surrounding Isreal and the occupied territories. But it does introduce elements of hope, in a discussion that usually has none.
-David Alston
Movie Review: A profound documentary that shows us just how much children are our promise...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm Jewish, and I just don't get what the two reviewers who maintain the film is slanted against Jews or Israel are talking about. I saw it at our synagogue one night, and I fail to see what they claim. "Promises" is not anti-Jewish nor pro-Palestinian: it is pro-humanity! It shows just how prejudiced both communities are, and how the poison of hate filters down to the children. If it is 'anti' anything, it is anti- hate, anti- bigotry, and pro- know-your-neighbor-as-yourself. There are several deeply profound moments in the film that can just blow you away (if your heart is open to it). The film demonstrates to the viewer the healing power of listening and being heard, and the wonderful natural ability of children to quickly 'see outside of the box', or in this case, see each other beyond what they've been taught: that the other is an 'enemy' to be distrusted. Instead, they readily can see that, in fact, they are much alike. They love the things that all children love. And, in the alchemy of one special moment, they have the vision (that most adults woefully lack) to imagine a life where they could live together, and even enjoy each other! Like one of the other reviewers, if there were more stars to give this film, I would not limit it to 5 stars. I wish all Palestinians and Israelis, Jews and Arabs, would see this wonderful film. There is such wisdom in these children that adults need to hear.Movie Review: Informative and astoundingly moving
Summary: 5 Stars
My Facing History and Ourselves teacher showed us this film, and despite the length, our entire class stayed fully attentive because it's just that good. The movie gave me a much better understanding about the Israeli-Palastinean conflit and the people behind it. I think it's because that the main characters are children which makes the movie so compelling and moving. It was also amazing how much the children understood--they knew their positions well and defended with logic based on who they where, what they are taught, and just... everything that they are.
We're going to meet that Arab kid in the film, Faraj, in our class soon, and I'm really excited! He, I think, understood the conflict best of all, and has a much much more objective and well-analyzed viewpoint. He may be an Arab, and he shows anger and intolerance to begin with, but as he progresses in the film, he realizes that Jewish children are just like Arab children. He wants to meet and connect, yet he knows that it takes a lot of work because there is little to connect these children. He is also interested in the conflict, and isn't just worried about his own problems like one of the kids... something about volleyball.
Anyway, whatever your view may be, this view is definitely an eye-opener. I cried a couple times because it's just such a wonderful movie!!
Movie Review: Absolutely captivating
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to say this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. A beautiful and deeply moving portrait of seven Palestinian and Israeli children.
This film focuses on the lives of these incredibly talented and intellegent children and the world that seperates them. Seperated by just a few miles and a chain link fence, these beautiful children are completely cut off by war, prejudice and hatred.
Most of the children had lost family members to the other side. "The enemy". Many were children themselves when they were killed.
One of the children makes a statement during an interview that completely moved me. "Who wins in war? Either you die, or your enemy dies, but either way, who has really won?"
So often in the American news we hear of the horrible bombings in Israel. The acts of Arabic terrorists. I always thought of the Israelis being the only victims. Rarely do we ever hear of the oppression and killings of the Palestinians. The loss of their land due to colonialism. I never knew how much these Arabs suffered. I don't feel this film was biased at all as one reviewer states. These are all opinions of children, most of them very differing. There is no slant, just interviews with the children.
This film has been eye opening and I am forever changed.