Examining the past and reflecting our present: Film Night Report

Around 80 attendees packed the Stade Hall for our film night

Thanks to everyone who came to our packed Film and Discussion night on Saturday 8 November at Stade Hall.

We watched a film version of the Caryl Churchill Play Seven Jewish Children, followed by a documentary by Forensic Architecture: Return to Al-ma-in, which reconstructed the Palestinian village of Al-Ma’in, destroyed and ethnically cleansed in 1948.

Both films are available online and free to view through the links.

These films set the tone for our small group discussions afterwards, supported by facilitators, where everyone had a chance to reflect and contribute to the conversations.

It was a welcome opportunity to speak freely without fear of being judged or ‘saying the wrong thing’ and we shared our insights, experiences and feelings in a safe, respectful way.

One attendee said afterwards: “I thought it was a great evening. I liked the way the Caryl Churchill play reflected how in the beginning they [Jewish settlers to Palestine] thought they were doing the right thing while quietly acknowledging that bad things had happened. But that acknowledgement came more and more to the surface as the decades rolled on. 

“The Forensic Architecture film was fascinating, it brought home the real geography of the village in relation to the Gaza Strip and one of the notable contributions from our table was when someone mentioned how we had been brought to believe the kibbutzim were benign places of socialist hippiness when the reality was they were built on destruction of Arab villages. 

“On our table, the discussion brought up some painful emotions, but I thought it was good that people felt able to express their feelings - a testimony to creating a supportive and safe space. I certainly learned a lot which is what it’s all about.”

Carolyn Gelenter, from the Jewish Peaceniks, talks about the importance of 'never losing hope'.

It was a great pleasure too to host the Jewish Peaceniks, who travelled from north London to be with us on the night. They helped to facilitate discussion and brought fresh energy and insights to the event, talking afterwards about their activities and the importance of never losing hope!

Thank you to our organisers, facilitators and volunteers who supported and staffed the event.  We noted that many people were keen to carry on the conversation so look out for details of our next event!

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