Show of the week
Early and late in this first-rate documentary, we see a burning tire rolling down a road. It's like the Middle East conflict—apparently unstoppable. But can a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians reach out to one another and halt the historic hostility?
Director-producer B.Z. Goldberg, who collaborated on this four-year project with Justine Shapiro and Carlos Bolado, follows seven Jerusalem-area children—four Israeli, three Palestinian—and lets them speak freely. At times they seem to have so much in common. If an Israeli cries after losing a volleyball game and a Palestinian sheds tears after finishing second in a sprint, you'd think the boys could find common ground. Prepare to be taken aback, however, when nice kids start spouting ethnic prejudices and territorial imperatives.
Eventually Goldberg arranges for Israeli twin brothers Yarko and Daniel to visit Palestinian refugee-camp resident Faraj and a few of his friends. It's a day of fun and tentative goodwill followed by a return to the old habits of separation. Still, the film provides a glimmer of hope.
Bottom Line: Promise fulfilled
