AmosL
09-25-2006, 06:47 AM
“ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION’
The Politics of Difference
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
As a person who is a loyal Israeli citizen and who fought in several wars against the Arab nations I faced “Zero Degrees of Separation” (Graphic Pictures) with a great deal of trepidation. I recently heard of the film which has been making the rounds at various festivals and garnering awards. When I sat down to watch it, I was stunned by its truthfulness, by its beauty and by the subject matter contained within it. The film has won several best documentary wards in its short life thus far. I actually heard about it on an Israeli website which was written in Hebrew and my interest was piqued. I wrote to the distributor to ask for a review copy and was informed that since it was a small company with little resources I would receive a screener but I would have to send it back after watching it. This made me more interested and I waited patiently for it to come. I have watched it three times now and have three different takes on the film but the overriding thought that I have all of the time is the power of the film.
Rarely do we have a chance to see a film that is quite as entrancing as this movie. It is a beautiful testament to man’s inhumanity to man. Dealing with the complicity of war and politics as well as same sex love is no easy feat but the director, Elle Flanders, lets nothing stop her as she explores the issues. What is the most amazing thing about this film is the concordance of tenderness and brutality, two poles that mesh here. This is “cine verite” at its finest. The film is lyrical and extremely personal. By now you all are wondering what I am talking about. All of us are ware of the tenuous relationship that exists between Palestinians and Israelis—two neighboring groups of people who have side by side by many years and who, since the creation of the State of Israel, have been unable to arrive at a lasting peace. It is interesting that we never considered that when people live so closely that there would be a chance of them loving each other as individuals—a Middle Eastern take on “Romeo and Juliet”. Certainly we did not consider same sex loving relationship crossing the lines of hatred. In showing what happens in two of these relationships—one a gay couple, one a lesbian couple, both couples made up of an Israeli and Palestinian each, “Zero Degrees…” has a lot to say about the future of relationships and social justice as well as why filmmakers go into unchartered territory. One can only imagine what it is to be in love with someone whom your government regards as an enemy; in cases like this there is more at stake than just love. There are also the issues of national security as well as lack of identity. We all are well aware of what consternation was raised in the United States regarding biracial marriages; we can just imagine what goes on the Middle East when the children of avowed enemies fall in love with each other. These relationships are not just relationships. They become rallying cries for the oppressed and the downtrodden as well as being the antithesis of what is considered to be right by the governments that be.
Selim is a male Palestinian who is in love with Ezra and Ezra loves Selim equally. Samira is a female Palestinian and a lesbian who is in love with Edit, an Israeli and Edit, likewise, loves Samira. “Zero Degrees of Separation” takes the viewer on a trip through the lives of these two couples and the complex lives they lead. Both couples live on the edge of society. Working to defy the odds and yet simultaneously living in a society in the midst of war where humanity is suspect. At the same time, Flanders brings in her own life story from the struggles of her Zionist grandparents as shown through home movies which were filmed soon after the creation of the nation of Israel. These movies show the land as it is to be—with a pioneering spirit, with the joys of youth rejoicing that they can grow up without the dread of anti-Semitism with immigrants “yearning to be free” and with unbelievably beautiful photography of the Holy Land.
One can’t help but wonder about the holiness of the Holy Land if two people are not allowed to love as they see fit. The foundation of democracy of Israel is almost torn asunder by this documentary. The fact that the lovers must face roadblocks and detours to see each other, that their homes are suspect is a major deterrent to any chance at happiness. Violence is a daily occurrence and Israeli incursions into the “occupied” territories cause the destruction of homes and villages.
The film documents everyday lives rather than the horrors of war and the impact of violence. Our characters speak out freely and it is clear that all they really want from life is the freedom to love each other. They are peaceful people who in their own ways attempt to push forward a path to peace in a region that knows little more than war. They yearn for respect. “Zero Degrees…” is a step in the peace process. The movie is building a bridge of peace—between Palestinian and Jew and between gay and straight societies.
The character studies are fantastic. Ezra, fifty plus years old is a plumber whose family came to Israel from Iraq and settled in Jerusalem. He s involved in politics and thinks philosophically. His views on the Palestinian crisis means so much more because of his partner, Selim, who is 27 and was a resistor to the occupation and has been jailed several times since the age of 15 due to his political views.
The struggle of these two men who want to live and love together is a struggle for tolerance and acceptance. Interestingly enough is that although each member of the couple have slightly different political ideologies, their love for each other rises above that and their struggle is so human that it sometimes hurts to watch.
Samira is a Palestinian Muslim woman from the Israeli town of Haifa—a city that is not part of the occupation and has been a part of Israel since the state came into being. She works as an oncological nurse at one of the finest hospitals in Israel and is a member of “Black Laundry” a group that is vehemently anti-occupation. Many of her friends are Israelis and she frequently goes to Tel Aviv which is the center of Israel’s gay scene. Her partner, with whom she has been for a year, Edit is an Israeli Jewess whose family came to Israel in the 1960’s from Argentina because her parents were political targets of the Argentinean military government and were on the hit list. Ardent Zionists, Edit is quick to acknowledge that if it were not for the existence of the State of Israel, her parents would have been shot years ago. She is a feminist and works at a rape crisis center in Tel Aviv and is very critical of Israel’s Palestinian policy, which no doubt partially comes form her love for her Palestinian girlfriend.
There is so much in this film—it is not just a movie about gay relationships but is also a mini history of Israel and an epic study in the nature of intolerance. I suppose it speaks to me very personally because I spent so many years of my life in Israel and was actively involved in the struggle for gay rights there. We made great progress and Israel is on its way to becoming the gay capital of Europe. What we did not do, I suppose because we never considered the possibility, was work to mend the wrongs done to our Palestinian gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and as I look back on the situation, I feel very badly about that. I guess we were too idealistic to believe that we, as Israelis, would ever fall in love with Palestinians. Now the problem is a real one and must be taken care of. Flanders’s movie is a step in the right direction. It brings awareness of the situation and at the same time carefully delves into the politics of hate and demoralization of an entire group of people. Quite simply put, this is a must see movie. It is not just a study of intolerance in the Middle East but a study of man’s inhumanity to man. The fact that the movie deals with sexual love and the recognition of gay relationships makes it a movie for our community. More important that that is the fact that the movie deals with acceptance and the desire to be free.
I rarely write this much about a movie but this film really spoke to me as I am sure it will to you. It is not a movie to be just watched and walked away from. It is a movie to be cherished and loved and remembered. It is important because it is about us and our loves and our political system. When a major infraction occurs somewhere in the world, it is just a matter of time before it can happen somewhere else.
The Politics of Difference
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
As a person who is a loyal Israeli citizen and who fought in several wars against the Arab nations I faced “Zero Degrees of Separation” (Graphic Pictures) with a great deal of trepidation. I recently heard of the film which has been making the rounds at various festivals and garnering awards. When I sat down to watch it, I was stunned by its truthfulness, by its beauty and by the subject matter contained within it. The film has won several best documentary wards in its short life thus far. I actually heard about it on an Israeli website which was written in Hebrew and my interest was piqued. I wrote to the distributor to ask for a review copy and was informed that since it was a small company with little resources I would receive a screener but I would have to send it back after watching it. This made me more interested and I waited patiently for it to come. I have watched it three times now and have three different takes on the film but the overriding thought that I have all of the time is the power of the film.
Rarely do we have a chance to see a film that is quite as entrancing as this movie. It is a beautiful testament to man’s inhumanity to man. Dealing with the complicity of war and politics as well as same sex love is no easy feat but the director, Elle Flanders, lets nothing stop her as she explores the issues. What is the most amazing thing about this film is the concordance of tenderness and brutality, two poles that mesh here. This is “cine verite” at its finest. The film is lyrical and extremely personal. By now you all are wondering what I am talking about. All of us are ware of the tenuous relationship that exists between Palestinians and Israelis—two neighboring groups of people who have side by side by many years and who, since the creation of the State of Israel, have been unable to arrive at a lasting peace. It is interesting that we never considered that when people live so closely that there would be a chance of them loving each other as individuals—a Middle Eastern take on “Romeo and Juliet”. Certainly we did not consider same sex loving relationship crossing the lines of hatred. In showing what happens in two of these relationships—one a gay couple, one a lesbian couple, both couples made up of an Israeli and Palestinian each, “Zero Degrees…” has a lot to say about the future of relationships and social justice as well as why filmmakers go into unchartered territory. One can only imagine what it is to be in love with someone whom your government regards as an enemy; in cases like this there is more at stake than just love. There are also the issues of national security as well as lack of identity. We all are well aware of what consternation was raised in the United States regarding biracial marriages; we can just imagine what goes on the Middle East when the children of avowed enemies fall in love with each other. These relationships are not just relationships. They become rallying cries for the oppressed and the downtrodden as well as being the antithesis of what is considered to be right by the governments that be.
Selim is a male Palestinian who is in love with Ezra and Ezra loves Selim equally. Samira is a female Palestinian and a lesbian who is in love with Edit, an Israeli and Edit, likewise, loves Samira. “Zero Degrees of Separation” takes the viewer on a trip through the lives of these two couples and the complex lives they lead. Both couples live on the edge of society. Working to defy the odds and yet simultaneously living in a society in the midst of war where humanity is suspect. At the same time, Flanders brings in her own life story from the struggles of her Zionist grandparents as shown through home movies which were filmed soon after the creation of the nation of Israel. These movies show the land as it is to be—with a pioneering spirit, with the joys of youth rejoicing that they can grow up without the dread of anti-Semitism with immigrants “yearning to be free” and with unbelievably beautiful photography of the Holy Land.
One can’t help but wonder about the holiness of the Holy Land if two people are not allowed to love as they see fit. The foundation of democracy of Israel is almost torn asunder by this documentary. The fact that the lovers must face roadblocks and detours to see each other, that their homes are suspect is a major deterrent to any chance at happiness. Violence is a daily occurrence and Israeli incursions into the “occupied” territories cause the destruction of homes and villages.
The film documents everyday lives rather than the horrors of war and the impact of violence. Our characters speak out freely and it is clear that all they really want from life is the freedom to love each other. They are peaceful people who in their own ways attempt to push forward a path to peace in a region that knows little more than war. They yearn for respect. “Zero Degrees…” is a step in the peace process. The movie is building a bridge of peace—between Palestinian and Jew and between gay and straight societies.
The character studies are fantastic. Ezra, fifty plus years old is a plumber whose family came to Israel from Iraq and settled in Jerusalem. He s involved in politics and thinks philosophically. His views on the Palestinian crisis means so much more because of his partner, Selim, who is 27 and was a resistor to the occupation and has been jailed several times since the age of 15 due to his political views.
The struggle of these two men who want to live and love together is a struggle for tolerance and acceptance. Interestingly enough is that although each member of the couple have slightly different political ideologies, their love for each other rises above that and their struggle is so human that it sometimes hurts to watch.
Samira is a Palestinian Muslim woman from the Israeli town of Haifa—a city that is not part of the occupation and has been a part of Israel since the state came into being. She works as an oncological nurse at one of the finest hospitals in Israel and is a member of “Black Laundry” a group that is vehemently anti-occupation. Many of her friends are Israelis and she frequently goes to Tel Aviv which is the center of Israel’s gay scene. Her partner, with whom she has been for a year, Edit is an Israeli Jewess whose family came to Israel in the 1960’s from Argentina because her parents were political targets of the Argentinean military government and were on the hit list. Ardent Zionists, Edit is quick to acknowledge that if it were not for the existence of the State of Israel, her parents would have been shot years ago. She is a feminist and works at a rape crisis center in Tel Aviv and is very critical of Israel’s Palestinian policy, which no doubt partially comes form her love for her Palestinian girlfriend.
There is so much in this film—it is not just a movie about gay relationships but is also a mini history of Israel and an epic study in the nature of intolerance. I suppose it speaks to me very personally because I spent so many years of my life in Israel and was actively involved in the struggle for gay rights there. We made great progress and Israel is on its way to becoming the gay capital of Europe. What we did not do, I suppose because we never considered the possibility, was work to mend the wrongs done to our Palestinian gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and as I look back on the situation, I feel very badly about that. I guess we were too idealistic to believe that we, as Israelis, would ever fall in love with Palestinians. Now the problem is a real one and must be taken care of. Flanders’s movie is a step in the right direction. It brings awareness of the situation and at the same time carefully delves into the politics of hate and demoralization of an entire group of people. Quite simply put, this is a must see movie. It is not just a study of intolerance in the Middle East but a study of man’s inhumanity to man. The fact that the movie deals with sexual love and the recognition of gay relationships makes it a movie for our community. More important that that is the fact that the movie deals with acceptance and the desire to be free.
I rarely write this much about a movie but this film really spoke to me as I am sure it will to you. It is not a movie to be just watched and walked away from. It is a movie to be cherished and loved and remembered. It is important because it is about us and our loves and our political system. When a major infraction occurs somewhere in the world, it is just a matter of time before it can happen somewhere else.