Promises (2001)

One of my all time favorites.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Okay, so I watched this documentary called Promises today. It's a documentary about Israeli and Palestinian children and sort of investigates their perspectives on the Israel/Palestine.Honestly, going into the film, I thought I knew what to expect--kids being all lovely-dovey and hopeful for peace and wondering why the adults just don't get along. This was not true. Throughout the course of the film, you see the obvious impact of the conflict in Israel-Palestine on the children and how it skews their perceptions towards fear and the dogmatism of their older generations.Of course, given some time, their innocence does appear and they develop a willingness to engage each other. (This is on the DVD synopsis, so I'm not giving anything away). It's in that willingness and that changed perspective in allowing the feared to become human that causes hope to be born. Not to say that everything is peachy in the end; the documentary follows up in the DVD's extra features and the real world still affects the youth.I wonder what happened to these kids-now-young-adults in the recent conflicts. When you put a real name and face and story to people in the situation, it becomes harder to ignore it.Stylistically, the documentary is typical straightforward piece with lots of talking heads (mostly children) intercut with observational sequences. The directors/crew mostly stay out of the picture, but still can't help but getting involved, which is all right by me (I'm by no means an observational purist--in fact, I think it creates fiction out of non-fiction).The film is remarkable in that it bothers to plead for sanity and peace (shalom/salaam) in a world that's torn apart by violence. Good viewing. 8/10.

Far behind the headlines are the people engaged in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. What's more, there are people behind the teens and adults killing themselves and each other in this conflict. There are the children growing up very fast in the midst of all this insanity. The film gives you a glint of hope that this conflict could some day end by planting the seeds of cooperation in the next generation, but then makes you wonder when revisiting the same children, slightly older, and more personally affected by tragedies on both sides. Overly aged, bitter, and sounding very much rhetorically programmed, these kids are being swept up in forces much larger than them, and one wonders if we can't count on the children to end this vicious cycle, how will the conflict ever end?

"Promises" is a feel-good sort of film -- far too easy for my taste, and not a good documentary. More like an opinion piece or a film essay. It's basically the "liberal" Israeli perspective -- the perspective that says "Well, wouldn't it be nice if we could all just get along?" without addressing the basic relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, which is embodied in the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This film essentially treats the Palestinian and Israeli characters as if they are on an equal footing, having a healthy ideological debate. The reality is, of course, far different.If you want a more realistic portrayal of what is going on in the minds of Palestinians, and the situation that they face on a daily basis, I would recommend seeing "Gaza Strip" (2002) which is much more of a verite, unscripted piece of solid documentary work. "Gaza Strip" doesn't cover the Israeli perspective, but it does provide a much deeper picture of the Palestinians than "Promises". Also, "Promises" was filmed almost entirely before the start of the current Palestinian uprising, so it tends to paint what is already an out-of-date picture. The two films would complement each other, I think.

Ever since I knew this was a film made in part by a Mexican, and that it had such an impact in award ceremonies, I've been looking for it.I was glad to find out that all the honors, prizes and kudos given to it weren't in vain.It's a wonderful experience to sit through. It widens the vision you have of the conflict, by letting us see it through the eyes of young, but not that innocent children.Some, we know they're talking with their open heart, some, we know they're reserving their real thoughts. In the end, the blend of ideologies -some simple, some quite complex- are enough to keep you asking for more.I do believe this is a film that should be shone, not only in school across the United States, but across the entire globe. It is my suggestion that this film be included as part of a subject across the whole world.If you are truly interested in this film, its makers are eagerly waiting the chance to make a sequel to it. All they're waiting for is the budget to be ready. Want to contribute? Check their web site!This are not actors, or aspiring performers. This are real people, real children. With hopes, with wishes, with thoughts. The camera is only there to show us a brief moment in their lives, but what about the rest?They will be there, in a land plagued by constant, (and to me, personally) senseless war. Even though they have already been through a lot of experiences some of lucky humans will never be put to, they are still children, who wait for a chance like this, to make themselves a Promise.