BRIDGE OVER THE WADI
(Gesher al Havadi)
Israel 2006 | 57 Min. | BetaSP, OmeU
In September 2004, in Kara village, the first Jewish-Arab school located within an Arab village, has opened. 100 children, half Arab and half Jewish, study at this school. The school gives equal representation to both languages, religions and cultures. For a year and a half the filmmaker followed closely the parents, who were able to establish this school despite all the difficulties on the way. What seemed like an impossible mission, given the social and political atmosphere in Israel since the rising of the second Intifada and the October 2000 events, has soon become an optimistic reality that brings hope during hard times for both Arabs and Jews. However, the tension and disagreement did not disappear the day the school opened. On the contrary; every day poses new challenges to the teachers, parents and children. Everyone related to this school goes through a deep and meaningful process which is at the core of this movie. The school serves as a critical turning point for each and everyone of the characters we follow. They find themselves having to deal with basic existential thoughts that do not pertain strictly to the Arab-Jewish conflict, but also to conflicts about male vs. female, religious vs. secular, parents vs. children, and more.
