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DISTURBING THE PEACE is film about people born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, Palestinians and Israelis, who challenged their fate and joined together to say "enough."
We Shall Be Free
In a world torn by conflict — in a place where the idea of peace has been abandoned — an energy of determined optimism emerges. When someone is willing to disturb the status quo and stand for the dream of a free and secure world, who will stand with them?
DISTURBING THE PEACE is about people born into conflict, sworn to be enemies, who challenged their fate. The film follows everyday people who took extraordinary actions by standing for what they believe in, just like those who came before them — Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and many others whose names we don’t know. The film challenges all of us — to understand the narratives we live within, to look at our current roles in our societies, and to decide what role we are going to play in creating a more humane world, for all. And it starts with our willingness to disturb the peace.
DISTURBING THE PEACE is a story of the human potential unleashed when we stop participating in a story that no longer serves us and, with the power of our convictions, take action to create new possibilities. DISTURBING THE PEACE follows former enemy combatants — Israeli soldiers from elite units and Palestinian fighters, many of whom served years in prison — who have joined together to challenge the status quo and say “enough." The film reveals their transformational journeys from soldiers committed to armed battle to nonviolent peace activists, leading to the creation of Combatants for Peace.
At a time in our world when societies are becoming more polarized and painfully few people are speaking of nonviolent solutions to our conflicts, popular movements like Combatants for Peace have the potential to capture the public’s imagination and shift the conversation from the inevitability of conflict, to the possibility and process of establishing lasting peace. DISTURBING THE PEACE evokes universal themes relevant to us all and inspires us to become active participants in the creation of our world.
87 minutes
SDH Captioning for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing
Languages: English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles
Directed by Steven Apkon and Andrew Young
Produced by Steven Apkon and Marcina Hale
Consulting Producer: Rocco Caruso
Cinematographer: Andrew Young
Editor: Ori Derdikman
A RECONSIDER film
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Screening options: COMMUNITY SCREENINGS |
"Vital, absorbing...inspiring portrait."
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times
"This fresh and intimate documentary by a first-time director and his veteran partner has changed the world I know. Some stories we inherit. Some stories we invent ourselves. We live in these stories. Change those stories and we change our world."
Ben Cheever, Roger Ebert Film Festival
"A tremendous achievement — a stirring and profound film that chronicles the noble efforts of Israelis and Palestinians to realize their common humanity, to break the horrendous cycle of violence and move toward peace. We, people of every nationality, need to see it, think about the individuals who expose themselves to us, and be drawn into the indispensable process of wrestling with our own vengefulness in order to transcend our lesser selves."
Todd Gitlin, Professor of Journalism and Sociology, Columbia University
"Carefully measured...Inspiring, hopeful...although there is still a palpable sense of just how big a challenge remains. 4 stars."
Leslie Felperin, The Guardian
"Their stories are compelling — and persuasive...The transformations they describe are less like lightning bolts and more like dawning epiphanies."
Andy Webster, The New York Times - *Critics' Pick*
"A deeply-moving, powerful film with an inspiring message...The film offers us a glimmer of hope at time when the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace look so bleak. This is essential viewing for educators, activists, and anyone concerned about this tragic conflict."
Dov Waxman, Professor of Political Science, International Affairs, and Israel Studies, Co-Director of Middle East Center, Northeastern University, Author, Trouble in the Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict over Israel
"The film is a space for listening, for trying to understand."
Diana Clarke, The Village Voice
"By focusing on combatants from both sides who came together to bring about change, DISTURBING THE PEACE is a rejoinder to pessimism, delivering a message of hope..."
Stephen Mayne, Under the Radar
"A moving documentary...potent and earnest."
Chris Barsanti, Film Journal International
"A fresh and thoughtful look at a conflict few of us fully understand...This is essential viewing for anyone wanting to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a human perspective, but also as a testament to the human capacity to forgive and the need for empathy."
Alan Berry, Critical Movie Critics
“I want to live in the world you guys are creating.”
Michael Moore