Directors Ronit Avni and Julia Bacha take us beyond the daily news coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in which the casualties rarely seem more than discouraging numbers on both sides, and introduce us to the people most affected: those caught in the crossfire. In this inspiring documentary, a group of brave individuals reject revenge and the endless cycle of violence, thereby risking ostracism from their own communitites. The film features an Israeli settler, a convicted Palestinian fighter, a bereaved Israeli mother, and a wounded Palestinian ex-prisoner. All of them are members of The Bereaved Families' Forum, a group of about 500 families from both sides who are attempting to "solve the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians through dialogue and mutual understanding." While the members do not agree on all the issues, they do believe that they must agree to disagree and find peace through reconciliation and coexistence. We watch as years of anger and hatred are tempered by the shared bond of grief, which bridges chasms of misunderstanding. These brave individuals reject revenge and the endless cycle of violence, thereby risking ostracism from their own communities. They make a conscious choice to turn away from the inflammatory rhetoric of the media and the politicians, and instead take their cues from nonviolent figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela. This compelling story is one of forgiveness, and ultimately one of hope. How does one of the most divisive and explosive conflicts in the history of the world get resolved? It begins with a single step.

Julia Bacha and Ronit Avni