Encounter Point (2006)

Just when the world is losing hope about the possibility of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict comes ENCOUNTER POINT. Created by a Palestinian, Israeli, North and South American team, ENCOUNTER POINT moves beyond sensational and dogmatic imagery to tell the story of an Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their safety and public standing to press for an end to the conflict. They are at the vanguard of a movement to push Palestinian and Israeli societies to a tipping point, forging a new consensus for nonviolence and peace. Perhaps years from now, their actions will be recognized as a catalyst for constructive change in the region. ENCOUNTER POINT is a film about hope, true courage and implicitly about the silence of journalists and politicians who pay little attention to vital grassroots peace efforts. More than 1 hour of Additional Features - On the Road - audience reactions to ENCOUNTER POINT from Jerusalem to Dubai to New York and more! - Additional and extended scenes Filmmaker audio commentary - Film subject audio commentary - 4 minute trailer - Theatrical trailer Product Description

People on the Ground

One of the messages of the film makers of "Encounter Point" I really like was that the politicians come and go, and people on the ground go through it all all the time. Another message I liked was that, unlike other documentaries that concentrate on the shocking and the dramatic, we should concentrate on those who are trying to make things better.

"Encounter Point" is a great documentary about an organization that unites bereaved families in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Both Israeli and Palestinian families. Yes, both Jewish and Muslim. Is that possible? One would never know it, watching the news and endless portrayals of hatred from that part of the world. "Encounter Point" shows us that it is not only possible, but is, and has been happening. Amazingly, both Palestinians and Israelis grieve after their fallen and they both want peace.

There will always be sceptics and there will always be Grinches who take away the little hope we have. My hat is off to the film makers and all the people portrayed in the film, as the process for peace has to start somehow and somewhere. And these brave people are showing us that one can put behind millenia of hate and competition and peacefully coexist with the rival. Highly recommended. February 23, 2008

reality trumps hope

The success of Encounter Point at Tribeca and other venues is probably due to its attempt not to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, it follows both Israeli and Palestinian members of an unfortunate "club"---parents who have lost sons and daughters in the hostilities between the warring groups. They have formed a group that is attempting reconciliation among its own members first and then reaching out to bring about understanding on a national scale.

I wanted to write this review objectively, but language insists on a point of view even when summarizing. Israelis would criticize my use of "conflict" as too mild a word to describe what they term "acts of terrorism." When a Palestinian is shot by an Israeli soldier, I am pro-Israeli if I see it as a casualty of war and pro-Palestinian if I call it murder as Palestinians in the film do). And while I do not describe the group's aims as "forgiveness," "settlement," "compromise," and "appeasement," I do adop the film's use of the term "reconciliation," thereby suggesting equivalency between the two positions, a position I do not not wish to claim.

The fact is that as any documentary, Encounter Point also takes a position and is unmistakable in its sympathies. Despite that, viewers who disagree with the attitude will still find much to interest them in the film. If the point of view was responsible for its booking, the film's actual interviews are what make it worth seeing. To their credit, if they chose deliberately, and to the credit of their artistic temperament if they chose instinctively, the filmmakers provide unforgettable moments of clarity. A Palestinian member of the group takes the filmmakers to meet his mother in Arab Jerusalem. She urges him to tell the story of his arrest as a young man. He tells of being in a room with two young men who were building bombs. When the bombs exploded prematurely, he too was arrested and imprisoned for a decade. Interrupts the mother, "He wasn't even in the room. He was outside, getting a haircut." The son gently but firmly corrects her, admitting he was in the room but insisting he was minding his own business. What a seminal moment, with mother's love and memory combining to offer a palatable version of events.

A similar moment of clarity emerges during an interview on Israeli television. The group's representative urges Israelis to question the efficacy of a policy toward Palestinians that has created 50 years of hate. The moderator responds by asking the representative to consider the possibility that the hate has no basis, that Palestinians want them dead without a specific provocation. And the representative raises his shoulder in the classic Jewish response that non-verbally says, "Who knows." Unfortunately, that shrug of doubt undercuts the optimism that animates the movement toward peace.

Ultimately, the strength of this film does not lie in its hopeful presentation of the group's aims but in its accurate rendition of the group members with all their human sadness, determination, and naiveté. Their stories, Israeli and Palestinian, are heart rending.



February 22, 2008

Encounter Point

I highly recommend this excellent documentary portraying the lives
of Palestinians and Israelis willing to say no to violence, and
hear each others pain in the quest for peace. Most of the media
attention in the U.S. is focused on terrorist violence; this film
presents the viewer with the story of families on both sides
of the violence, who have lost family members to the violence,
and yet are reaching out to each other. These families represent the
seeds of hope and peace for Palestinians and Israelis. The film was done
with sensitivity and balance, and lots of painful but hopeful honesty. September 24, 2007

a ray of hope

Anyone who feels there is no way for parties in the Middle East to find a road to peace will be heartened by this film born out of tragedy. But this is a bigger and more important story than what is transpiring in the Middle East. This is a film about grief and and transformation, about choosing the path of peace instead of retribution. Kudos to the Producers for bringing this story to the public. There is hope out there, and the lessons of this film about personal transformation are important lessons for us all. September 17, 2007

Be ready

Be prepared! If you have a heart, you will be called to action... to fight for peace in this land and yours with the powerful weapon of Love. Perfect Love chases out all fear. Be ready. September 9, 2007

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