London, November 9, 2010–OneVoice hosted its first ever screening at the 7th annual UK Jewish Film Festival (UKJFF) in Kilburn, England, on Wednesday. The special evening was held to promote the upcoming launch of the Imagine 2018 campaign.
Close to 100 people filled the seats to screen “Solider and Boy,” directed by Eran Riklis, and “Tel Aviv–Damascus Express,” directed by Rami Blair. Both short films had been adapted from the winning essays of a children’s writing contest held by OneVoice. Daniel Lubetzky, founder and president of OneVoice, was present for the premiere.
“I am delighted to witness first hand the amount of outreach OneVoice is doing in Europe,” said Lubetzky. “From the concept of the 2018 campaign to the delivery of this screening, thousands of people have been affected, and the finished product allows those outside the region to hear what the moderates are saying within it. This event is a remarkable testament to the innovative ways that OneVoice conducts its outreach.”
In 2008, working in conjunction with the Palestinian and Israeli ministries of education, OneVoice launched an essay contest in classrooms throughout Israel and the West Bank, asking children aged 13 to 17 to visualize what the region would look like in 10 years if a peace agreement were to be signed today. Of the approximate 2,500 submissions, “Soldier and Boy,” by Shay Noilander, and “Tel Aviv–Damascus Express,” by Nadav Kugan and Chen Asulin, were the contest winners.
Besides the short films, audience members also watched select visions collected by OneVoice Israel and OneVoice Palestine as a part of the Imagine 2018 campaign. OneVoice has been asking people around the world to share how they would envision Israel and Palestine in the year 2018 if there were to be a peace agreement, versus maintaining the toxic status quo.
The evening was hailed a success as many members of the audience took the opportunity to contribute to OneVoice’s growing 2018 campaign. OneVoice will shortly be launching an Imagine 2018 micro-site allowing people to become personally involved by seamlessly sharing their own visions. If you would like to submit material now, please follow these instructions.
The evening concluded with a “Q+A” session with Martin Bright, founder and chief executive of New Deal of the Mind, and Joel Braunold, director of external relations for OneVoice Europe. Audience questions ranged widely from how the films were selected, to the role of religion in the region and conflict.
Braunold felt that, “For the audience to be in conversation with Martin Bright, an award-winning political journalist and innovative thinker, allowed them to gain a fresh perspective on how creative industry can be utilized in conflict resolution.”
The UKJFF is a major exhibitor of Jewish films in the United Kingdom and Europe. The festival was established in 2003 in order to reach out to a diverse audience interested in exploring Jewish history, life, and culture worldwide.
Where can we watch these short films or read the stories that inspired them?
Posted by: Victoria | November 16, 2010 at 03:30 PM