Promises
PROMISES (2001), A Film By Justine Shapiro,
BZ Goldberg, and Carlos Bolado
Promises follows the journey of one of the filmmakers, Israeli-American B.Z. Goldberg. B.Z. travels to a Palestinian refugee camp and to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and to the more familiar neighborhoods of Jerusalem where he meets seven Palestinian and Israeli children. Though the children live only 20 minutes apart, they exist in completely separate worlds; the physical, historical and emotional obstacles between them run deep. Promises explores the nature of these boundaries and tells the story of a few children who dared to cross the lines to meet their neighbors. Rather than focusing on political events, the seven children featured in Promises offer a refreshing, human and sometimes humorous portrait of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Learn more about Promises or buy the DVD.
Running time, 106 minutes. Arabic, Hebrew and English dialogue with English subtitles.
Our Summer in Tehran
OUR SUMMER IN TEHRAN
A documentary film by Justine Shapiro
A personal, poetic and provocative documentary film,
Our Summer in Tehran
takes American filmmaker Justine Shapiro and her six-year old son into
the lives of three Iranian families: a religious, conservative family with
ties to the government; a modern, secular family; and a single mom who
is also an actress. With 1 month left on her visa, Justine is suddenly
given 48 hours to leave the country. This remarkable journey introduces
American audiences to the fascinating, and yet strikingly familiar home
of our “enemy,” where we discover that everyday life is never separate from ever-watchful
eye of the government. Learn more about Our Summer in Tehran or make
a donation to support the film’s post-production and educational
outreach.
Running time, 59 minutes. English, Farsi, and French with English subtitles.