By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.3 cats
Director: B.Z. Goldberg | Carlos Bolado
Country: united_states
Year: 2002
Running time: 106
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0269746
Diane says: “Co-director B.Z. Goldberg, an American Jew, befriends some Palestinian and Israeli kids and gets some of them intrigued enough to want to meet. But it’s not the feel-good movie I was expecting–it’s realistic, showing what’s become of those relationships two years later. Some extremely personable kids help make the point that peace is not just a political, but a personal responsibility.” 4 cats
Emily says: “Greg and I saw this premiere at the Toronto film festival the last day we were there (Sept 10). I invited B.Z to the Divinity school, actually, to show the film again about 3 months ago – I really loved this documentary and was sorry it did not win the Oscar. The other night on 60 minutes II they had some interviews with the kids who starred and what their opinions are now, in the second intifada like state of crisis we are now in. It was depressing, but understandable. B.Z. himself was born and raised mostly in Israel and had some really interesting reflections on his own formation of ideas about the Muslim/Palestinian other. He was very honest and forthcoming about the entire process. He was really transformed by making the film (and obviously the kids were transformed by him, if only momentarily). He also had some really interesting things to say about the reception of the film in Israel and the various kids’ parents reactions to the final edit and how their kids/their views were portrayed…all in all a great documentary and I highly recommend you catch it while you can.”
Laura says: “I thought this documentary felt manufactured (the situation was manufactured, true enough, but the filmmaker himself was in it a bit too much for my liking) and I didn’t really learn anything new about the situation. I’m not saying I *disliked* it, just that it didn’t particularly inspire me.”
Michael says: “After all the raves and hoopla and an Oscar Nomination and seeing B.Z. Goldsmith speak, I FINALLY saw PROMISES! This documentary (as I’m sure you all know) follows seven children, some Israeli, some Palestinian, all living within 20 minutes of each other, over the course of several years. Through them the viewer gets a glimpse of what it’s like to live in a place where such hostility and war is a day-to-day occurrence.
“PROMISES is unquestionably a powerful film by its very subject matter, but I’m afraid I don’t find it to be a very successful documentary. The kids are certainly charismatic and endearing, with their varied and sometime startling viewpoints, but I feel (like Laura, I believe) that the filmmaker himself was in the film too much. The entire thing felt slightly calculated for maximum emotional effect. I think that if the film had been about the Israeli-born American returning to his homeland to help the children see their world in a different perspective, then B.Z.’s presence would have been appropriate. However, the film purports to be about the children, and therefore, his frequent (often random, but usually quite calculated) appearances took away from the impact of the film for me.
“I also felt that the film didn’t do what it intended to do. It seemed that by focusing on the children, and especially the meeting of several of them, we were to see that through them there is hope for the future. Instead, after finishing the film, I just thought, ‘How is peace ever going to find a hold in a culture that is so driven by religious fervor?’ It seemed an insurmountable roadblock.
“So powerful and effective in some ways, but slightly manipulative and forced in others.” 3 cats
Scot says: “I felt kind of annoyed by B.Z.’s presence in front of the camera. I didn’t mind his voiceovers as much, but when they showed reaction shots of him (particularly the last one), I felt as if the filmmakers were telling me to identify with him, since he was the American. I’d much rather analyze my feelings toward the situation without assistance, thank you.
“But I really liked the burping scene.”
Bruce says: “For several years I’ve looked forward to seeing this 2001 film which although critically acclaimed was released on DVD for the first time in late 2004. For the most part, I was disappointed, due to my expectations being out of line.
“One of the three directors, B. Z. Goldberg, meets pre-teen children in three Arab family and three Jewish families, all of whom
live within 10 miles of Jerusalem. One Jewish boy, Moishe, lives in a West Bank settlement and his family is religious. Shlomo, another Jewish boy, is American and has come from the United States to Israel for religious study; his family is Orthodox and lives near the Old City. Yarko and Daniel are twins who are from a non-religious Jewish family live in West Jerusalem. Sanabel, an Arab girl, is from a family living in a refugee camp; her father is in an Israeli prison. Faraj, an Arab boy also lives in a refugee
camp; his family’s village was bulldozed by Israelis when the settlements were built. Faraj saw one of his friends shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after he threw stones at the military. Mohammed, another Arab boy, is from East Jerusalem; his father owns a coffee store and his family is religious and militant.
“None of the Arabs know any Jews; none of the Jews know Arabs. What is very disturbing about the film is that many of the children are indoctrinated to hate at such an early age. These children have been robbed of their innocence and denied ability to judge the complexities of the world using their own criteria. It is frightening to hear twelve year olds talk about God favoring one group over another.
“B.Z. attempts to orchestrate a meeting of all the children. It has to be in one of the refugee camps because the Palestinians children cannot leave the camp without a military permit. (Actually that is not true for earlier B.Z. smuggles Faraj and his grandmother out of their camp to visit the site of their former village. It seems that checkpoint guards wave cars with Israeli license plates through.) The twins want to go and Faraj and Sanabel also participate in the exchange. While together the kids are nervous at first but sports and food ultimately become the common denominator and they all behave like normal children.
“It is interesting to note that the more religious Jews and Arabs have less interest in meeting one another. Sadly, when B. Z. returns to Israel to follow up with the kids two years later, the twins have loss interest in maintaining the friendship with Faraj who used to call them regularly after their initial meeting.
“So little happens in this film, I find it difficult to get overly enthusiastic. Perhaps the filmmakers chose the wrong children or perhaps the situation in Israel is way beyond repair. Hope is not a feeling the film exudes. 3 cats”