A Movie on the Palestine-Israel Conflict Through the Non-Violent Approach - Essay Example

of the of the Concerned 5 November Encounter Point- a Movie Review It is very rarely that one comes across a movie on the Palestine-Israel conflict, which instead of focusing on the active warfare, tactical strategies and consequent retaliations, and the ensuing global diplomatic machinations, tends to chose for its theme, the fundamental capacity for empathy and understanding that exists on both the sides. In that context the movie Encounter Point directed by Ronit Avni and Julia Bacha is an exception in the sense that it is a film about people hailing from both sides of the conflict, who have dedicated their lives to the cause of resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict through non-violent approach towards the issues. Even more surprising thing about the theme is that these people have also suffered personal lose and agony owing to the violence being unleashed by the opposing sides. It is different that they decide to get over their personal loss to usher in an air of reconciliation and peace. One other noticeable thing about the movie Encounter Point is that it does not present the Arabs and the Israelis as two warring factions or tends to present the whole thing as a conflict between two equal or symmetrical sides. Rather than resorting to these exhaustively exploited clichés, the movie chooses to bring to fore the human side of the war. It is a known fact supported by commonsensical observations that war results in death and bloodshed on both sides. However, other movies made around the same issue have time and again chosen to sensationalize the violence implicit in the conflict, while ignoring the human facet of the war or sidelining it by merely showing a few well attended funerals or wailing women and children. The movie Encounter Point does that, but it ventures to move ahead by focusing on the dynamics of grief common to both the sides. It does not merely answer the question as to what happened during a skirmish, but also answers the question as to what happened after a military show off. The storyline moves beyond the streets of West Bank and Ramallah, to venture into the homes of the wounded and maimed soldiers and civilians. It shows the grief that the families on both sides of the conflict have to grapple with on a 24/7/365 basis. It goes without saying that going by the nature of the Palestine-Israel conflict and the response of the international community to this long lasting state of war, some people simply cannot help as to labeling any movie made on this issue as being pro-Israel or pro-Palestine. Some directors even go ahead to cater to such audience aspirations and tend to present the conflict from a specific focus. However, this is not true of the movie Encounter Point. Actually when one comes across the people participating in the Bereaved Families Forum, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, cousins, holding each other’s hands, literally and figuratively, narrating the memories of the loved one’s lost in the conflict, nothing seems to be off beat or unusual. It is only when one realizes that this group of mourners comprises of both the Palestinians and the Israelis that one is forced to place and interpret the movie in a context, which is unlike anything depicted in any war movie delving on the Arab-Israel conflict. It is only then that the most hardcore of the cynics is forced to admit that the focus of the movie is human. It brings out the human suffering inflicted on the family members, friends and neighbors on both side of the conflict. Most of the movies hitherto made on the Arab-Israel conflict predominantly snubbed any scope for hope by the depicted warfare. However, going by the theme of this movie one could distinctly feel the green shoots of hope and reconciliation sprouting out from a soil that been for times immemorial remained seeped in blood. There is no denying the fact that the approach of the movie is balanced without being discernibly biased towards any side. However, being balanced in the case of this movie does not mean that it tends to be non-prejudicial by bringing out the martial spirit of both the sides or by trying to achieve some kind of explainable correlation or proportionality between the numbers killed on both the sides, or by illustrating the tactical superiority of both sides or the immensely divided international response. The balance in case of this movie is the essential similarity of the human heart on both sides. This movie intends to bring to fore the point that the grief of any Israeli wife on losing her husband is in no way less than the grief of a Palestinian sister losing a brother to the sniper fire. It illustrates the point that a Palestinian losing a limb in ambush feels as frustrated, helpless and dejected as an Israeli soldier forced to commit to long term hospitalization and physiotherapy because of the injuries suffered in the war. Above all, the movie Encounter Point intends to give a voice to the beacons of sanity existing on both the sides, who have innately, by the dint of personal experience have come to understand that if allowed to go on without any intervention, this conflict will only result in further loss of life and limbs. On other interesting thing about the movie is that it highlights the hitherto unaccounted, but sometimes practiced approach towards conflict resolution that is non-violence. This movie certainly is a must watch for any individual following this conflict and looking for a way out towards peace and reconciliation. Besides, it is also a good and insightful human interest story. Most of the characters in the movie are true to life and convincing. However, the character that I identified is that of Ali a Palestinian pacifist who lost a brother in the conflict. Ali Abu Awwad was himself badly injured in the lower body by an Israeli settler and had to go to Saudi Arabia for treatment and rehabilitation. After facing such an immense persona loss and physical injury, Ali eventually chooses to team up with the Bereaved Families Forum to work with both the Israelis and the Palestinians resorting to non-violent methods to raise the voice for peace and amity. The character of Ali signifies two things, one the ability of human conscience to show the right direction under all circumstances, and second the immense capacity of the human spirit to transcend one’s personal loss so as to stand for a cause that is just and universal. In that context, Ali comes out as a character that is capable of seeing the light on the other side of the tunnel, irrespective of the surrounding death and despondency. It goes saying that even a cursory research into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict corroborates to the fact that both the sides got into this war to solve their problems. Yet, the irony is that a conflict that was initiated and sustained with the hope of resolving long standing problems has ended up being a big problem in itself. In that context, the non-violent resistance suggested by the mourners in the film presents a ray of hope. Not only has this method succeeded in many parts of the world, like in the Indian struggle for independence, but, also because war as a strategy has totally failed. Simply speaking, Encounter Point is indeed a thought provoking, moving and an insightful movie. It definitely gives something to both the sides to think about and perhaps suggests a viable way out of the conflict. Read More