Welcome!
Welcome to the I am you are Israeli / Palestinian teenage film project.
Thank you for your interest in the project.
In the beginning was the dream
In the complex reality of life in Jerusalem. we often
deal with issues of identity. Who am I as myself, as
part of a family, as part of an ethnic/religious group,
as part of society, as part of the world? This discovery
of self is a universal journey that takes on great intensity
as young adults become aware of the world around
them and seek to find themselves.
The art of cinema often reflects a search for self and influences reality and the way we perceive it. The world hidden among the stories and images opens a window to a wide field of ideals, interpretations and questions, and can serve as a unique and challenging tool for self discovery. The making of a film is a process that demands special skills, imagination, creativity, patience and enthusiasm -- it is a learning process.
The idea of the project I Am You Are developed
from the recognition that we could make a difference
in the lives of young people in Jerusalem by bringing
them together to search for self while learning about
others. We believed that we could reach beyond our
reality into a dream, a dream of a better world. The
last eight years have proved it could be done. Hundreds
of young high school students, Jewish and Arab, have
come together to create their own unique visions of
self in a cooperative and supportive environment. In
the special city of Jerusalem, living under our burning
sun and facing a changing and challenging reality, we
have found a way to change the way the participants
and their families and friends view themselves and
others.
The films they created together are an honest representation of personal, communal, national and religious identity. The individual stories told, create a mosaic in which universal human values and individual differences find expression. Each story reflects the problems and dilemmas that young Jews and Arabs face today in Jerusalem. The films demonstrate a striking and mature awareness of the long road still ahead but also an openness to the cooperative process that made them, breaking down walls of fear, misunderstanding and alienation.
This project has a very special place in our hearts. I hope that it has contributed to even a small change in the way we see ourselves and others. I hope the tools participants have acquired will create involved and caring citizens. I hope the contribution we make to dialogue and tolerance will continue to grow and expand and reach out to the next generation of Jerusalemites.
--Gilli Mendel