Conflict in the Middle East has been the focus of abundant media attention as of late. However, the upcoming Middle East Film Festival will focus on the Israeli-Palestinian encounter rather than war or conflict between the groups.
The festival, presented by the Eugene Middle East Peace Group, begins on Saturday and will include four films intended to provide a window into day-to-day issues confronting people in Israel and Palestine. Two of the films will play at Bijou Art Cinemas, located at 492 E. 13th Ave., and two will show in 100 Willamette.
Main festival organizer, Middle East Peace Group member and Judaic Studies visiting lecturer Alon Raab said one of the event’s main goals is to give audience members new perspectives and information that popular media might not always reflect.
“Our goal is to provide information that is missing from the mainstream media here and from most information outlets,” Raab said. “The films explain the situation as it is happening right now in Israel and Palestine, and some also provide hope.”
Raab added that the Eugene Middle East Peace Group worked toward providing diversity within this goal by selecting films with varying themes.
“Gaza Strip,” which will appear on Saturday at noon at Bijou Art Cinemas, focuses on life under occupation, while the “Beyond the Walls,” screening on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in 100 Willamette Hall, is a film about Palestinian and Israeli prisoners uniting.
Academic adviser Karen Kennedy, who is also a member of the Middle East Peace Group, co-organized the film festival. She said the themes in “Gaza Strip” are important “because most Americans don’t understand or know about (occupied territories).”
Eugene Middle East Peace Group secretary Lisa Fragala agreed.
“The American public needs to educate themselves and be aware of what is potentially happening there,” she said.
“Promises,” portraits of Israeli and Palestinian youth, will play at Bijou Art Cinemas on April 19 at noon. The final film, “Frontiers of Dreams and Fears,” explores a friendship between two Palestinian girls. It will screen on April 24 at 7 p.m. in 100 Willamette Hall.
“We hope people come away from these films having a more complex and richer understanding,” Kennedy said. “I think this community is really hungry for this kind of information.”
Raab said the Middle East Peace Group hopes the festival will become an annual affair. He said the peace group formed several years ago with three goals in mind: To foster dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis, increase awareness about the Middle East in the community and to raise funds for Middle East peace groups. The members, who come from varying backgrounds, participate in a variety of activities, from fundraisers and rallies to monthly potlucks and holiday celebrations.
The film festival is supported by the peace group as well as a grant. All proceeds will benefit Grassroots International, an organization directly supporting human rights, medical relief, social justice and peace work in Israel and Palestine. Fragala said the fundraising aspect is an important reason people should attend the films, and the money will help people living in “insufferable, desperate” conditions.
Admission to each film will be a sliding scale donation of $5 to $15 at the door.