Award-Winning film, Budrus, to be screened at UUA General Assembly

By Eric Cherry

Come to a screening of the film at the UUA General Assembly hosted by UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) Workshop title: Budrus: Creating Justice on the Ground in Palestine/Israel When: Friday, June 24, 1:00 - 2:15pm, Where: Charlotte Convention Center 208A [youtube 2hqYR7OkqL4] Nadav Greenberg of Just Vision – the organization that produced the film – will be available in the UUJME booth (#634) in the Exhibit Hall on Friday, June 24, from 11:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. to answer questions. He will also be selling Budrus DVDs for private home use for $24.99 as well as public screening packages at the special UUA discount of $130. If you will not be attending GA but would like to host a free public screening of Budrus, you may also order the discounted UUA public screening packages from Just Vision for $130 plus $6.95 shipping. This offer is for a limited time only, available between June 15 and July 17, 2011 for people and groups associated with UU churches or the UUA . Each screening package contains: ORDER THE FILM: Groups associated with UU churches or the UUA who want to host a free public screening may purchase a UUA package of the Budrus DVD for $130 plus $6.95 shipping, which is a significant discount from the regular $295 cost for a public screening license. If you would like promotional posters included in your order as well, the shipping cost is $21.95. All financial support for Budrus helps cover the costs of free screenings of the film for Israelis and Palestinians and makes future film productions possible. To receive this special price that allows UU churches and groups to legally show the film in public settings, films must be ordered from Just Vision. Email Just Vision at dvd@justvision.org and enter “UUA Discount Package” in the subject line. This is a time limited offer. Orders must be received by Just Vision by July 17, 2011. Shipping takes approximately 5 days. MORE ABOUT THE FILM: Budrus is an award-winning feature documentary film about a Palestinian community organizer, Ayed Morrar, who unites local Fatah and Hamas members along with Israeli supporters in an unarmed movement to save his village of Budrus from destruction by Israel’s Separation Barrier. Success eludes them until his 15-year-old daughter, Iltezam, launches a women’s contingent that quickly moves to the front lines. Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little-known, movement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that is still gaining ground today. In an action-filled documentary chronicling this movement from its infancy, Budrus shines a light on people who choose nonviolence to confront a threat. The movie is directed by award-winning filmmaker Julia Bacha (co-writer and editor of Control Room and co-director Encounter Point), and produced by Bacha, Palestinian journalist Rula Salameh, and filmmaker and human rights advocate Ronit Avni (formerly of WITNESS, Director of Encounter Point). While this film is about one Palestinian village, it tells a much bigger story about what is possible in the Middle East. Ayed succeeded in doing what many people believe to be impossible: he united feuding Palestinian political groups, including Fatah and Hamas; he brought women to the heart of the struggle by encouraging his daughter Iltezam's leadership; and welcoming hundreds of Israelis to cross into Palestinian territory for the first time and join this nonviolent effort. Many of the activists who joined the villagers of Budrus are now continuing to support nonviolence efforts in villages from Bil’in to Nabi Saleh to Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. Budrus includes diverse voices-- from the Palestinian leaders of the movement and their Israeli allies to an Israeli military spokesman, Doron Spielman, and Yasmine Levy, the Israeli border police captain stationed in the village at that time. While many documentaries about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict either romanticize the notion of peace, or dwell entirely on the suffering of victims to the conflict, this film focuses on the success of a Palestinian-led nonviolent movement. In a keynote address immediately following the world premiere of Budrus at a Gala screening at the Dubai International Film Festival in December 2009, Her Majesty Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan praised the film, stating that Budrus: "Gives an enormous amount of hope... It's a story which will have an impact and can help bring [about] change.” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is also available to support UU congregations who plan public screenings and discussions. Their advocacy staff can provide action-steps for interested congregations. The UUA is a founding and active member of CMEP. To request assistance from CMEP, please call 202-543-1222 and ask for Doris Warrell, or email doris@cmep.org. For questions on the film’s content, the film production process, or additional grassroots nonviolent work being carried out today by Palestinians and Israelis on the ground, please visit www.justvision.org or email info@justvision.org. UUs for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) can contacted by email at uujme@uujme.org or phone at 347-33UUJME (347-338-8563).

About the Author

Eric Cherry

Eric was the Director of the UUA’s International Office since August 2007. Prior to this Eric served for 12 years as a parish minister with UU congregations in Burlington, Iowa and N. Easton, Massachusetts. Eric has long been involved in the UU Partner Church movement, serving as the English...

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