Mittwoch, 20 Oktober 2010, 19.00 Uhr
Filmabende im Amerlinghaus, Stiftgasse 8, 1070 Wien, Mittwoch, 20 Oktober 2010, 19.00 Uhr
Documentary Film by Benny Brunner & Joseph Rochlitz 2002, 53 minutes, English
„If you will it, it is no dream,” wrote the founder of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, in 1902, prophesizing the creation of a utopian Jewish state.
One hundred years later, some of the harshest critics of Israel’s occupation policies are Israelis themselves – a small minority of intellectuals, political activists and artists whose voices are rarely heard outside Israel.
Shortly after the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2001, filmmakers Benny Brunner and Joseph Rochlitz travelled through the country and spoke to a number of them.
Meir Shalev – one of Israel’s best known writers
Gideon Levy – columnist for Haaretz newspaper
Jessica Montell – Director of B’Tselem (Israeli Human Rights Center)
Yehudit Katzir – writer
Yizhar Be’er – Director of the Israeli Center for the Protection of Democracy
Adi Ophir – Professor of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University
Noa Levy – leader of the High School students “refusal-to-serve” movement
Yitzhak La’or – writer and poet
The filmmakers also attended a major peace rally in Tel Aviv and recorded the fiery words of Yishai Rosen-Tzi, one of the first to sign the Letter of Refusal to serve in the Occupied Territories: Fighting against terrorism? What a joke! Government and army policies create a hothouse for terrorism (…). It is forbidden to treat men, women and children like dirt. The more people understand it, the sooner there will be an end to this cursed occupation.
The film is enhanced by the powerful work of artist David Reeb, who frequently uses images of the occupation in his drawings and paintings.
Veranstaltet von den Frauen in Schwarz (Wien) (www.fraueninschwarz.at) In Kooperation mit dem Verein Kulturzentrum Spittelberg (www.amerlinghaus.at)