Promises

Several years ago I heard about a documentary called Promises in which a film crew interviews Palestinian and Jewish kids about the situation in their homeland. At the time I was interested in seeing it, but we hadn't yet heard of Netflix and the local Blockbuster didn't carry the film. A few months ago I found it on Netflix, but I was hesitant to watch it worrying that it would be depressing. But the fact that I could watch it over the Internet any time and my current circumstances helped me get over my hesitance.

The film was made during the relatively peaceful years before the most recent intifada that began in 2000. Because the film combines the natural charisma and charm of young children with an issue that I find to be both complex and intriguing, it turned out to be very enjoyable. At first I wondered if the filmmakers might be a little biased since all the Palestinian kids are so adamant that the Jews leave, but they also portray the Palestinian position in a sympathetic light. It's touching to see how the kids became attached to their interviewer, BZ, and also to watch how some of them grapple with the complexities of their situation. For example, one Palestinian boy struggles to reconcile his hatred of the Jews with his discovery that his friend BZ is an "authentic" Jew.

My favorite scene occurs later in the film when BZ is interviewing an orthodox Jewish boy in the street of the boy's neighborhood. During the interview, a Palestinian boy burps at the Jewish boy and suddenly there's an impromptu burping contest. Maybe I'm just a softie when it comes to kids, but I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to anyone interested in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.