Tonight was the last of our five documentaries: Encounter Point (hot docs). It was our first time at the Al Green theatre in the Miles Nadal JCC, and I think we’ll avoid it next year…it’s hard to watch a movie when the slightest move by anyone in your row shakes your seat.

Anyway, the documentary was excellent. It followed several Israelis and Palestinians who are working for peaceful solution to the violence between their people, many of whom have lost family members to sniper, bomber or soldier. There were so many impressive people — the mother of a slain Israeli reserve soldier who had seen apartheid in South Africa, and saw it again in Israel; the Palestinian man who lost a brother, was shot and spent time in prison, but was now an eloquent advocate for peace despite the criticism it drew from his neighbours; the ex-military man who lost a daughter and now teaches acceptance and reconciliation at Israeli schools — that it was hard to decide who to admire the most. I gave it a 5/5 on my ballot.

Check out justvision.org; there’s information about the film, and suggestions for action you can take to help promote and support a peaceful solution to things.

And thus ends our Hot Docs festival for another year. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: $60 for 10 world-class documentaries (including Q&A with the filmmakers, usually) is the best entertainment deal in town. Boo, Rama.

Thanks to Paved for pointing to my reviews.

.:.

From Dooneys.com: this review of Julian Baggini’s Atheism: A Very Short Introduction sounds interesting. Not that I have to be convinced, but I might pick it up.

.:.

[tags]hot docs, encounter point, israel, palestine, atheism[/tags]