Ari Sandel on West Bank Story review

Dear Rajeev,
I wanted to write and thank you again for sitting with me to discuss my film West Bank Story. I recently had an opportunity to read your article and I must say I was very surprised at how different the tone of the article was from our very friendly interview.
I would like to tell you that I welcome all responses, positive or negative, and invite all to speak freely but I was amazed to see that none of what you asked me was in this article.
You make a lot of judgments about the film but include none of my explanations or answers. It seems to me that you knew what you wanted to write before we sat down and could have done so without an actual interview. That is disappointing. However the real disappointment is that you did not attend any of the real screenings and have therefore missed the true "newsworthy" story - the actual response of Arab audiences. I think you would have been amazed. The film played four times at the festival, more than any other film. It was also the only short to have a Gala screening in the main Arena (the last night).
My opening screening at midnight at the Emirates mall played to about 150 mostly Arab viewers. It was probably the best screening I have ever had! Not because it was all praise but because it was a totally honest and open dialogue about the film and the conflict in general.
Many Arabs, who were speaking on behalf of Palestinians, reacted similarly to the conclusions of your article but many also loved the film and wanted DVD's for their families. We were supposed to have a 10 minute Q & A after the film but it lasted over an hour because no one wanted to leave. Several people voiced their opinion that the film simplified a complicated subject and did not show the true suffering of the people involved. To that I whole-heartedly agreed.
I will say to you the same thing I said to them. This is not an informational film, nor is it designed to provide an historical explanation or a political solution. It is a movie about hope and peace. I believe the film HAS to be simple in order to be a comedy. One has to remove the suffering in order to get off the subject of blame and address the idea of hope. And to address your article, I do not think that making a comedy trivializes the conflict. Instead, it shines a big bright light on the message I focused on - Hope.
I don't think there is anything trivial about that. The validation I received came from the many Palestinians and other Arabs who stood up in the Q & A and defended the film, saying they thought it was hilarious and heartfelt. Several Palestinians came up to me in the mall and at the hotel over the next few days and asked for DVD's. It was amazing and very emotional for me.
The film received applauses after the first dance number and an enthusiastic applause after the Gala screening at the 1000-seat Arena (unusual for that venue). In fact, in the first Q & A, the attitude of the audience members who did not like the film seemed to change when actual Palestinians began defending it. It is very interesting, but it seems that non-Palestinian Arab audiences react more defensively to the film than actual Palestinians.
Perhaps they feel an obligation to defend the Palestinian voice and to speak on their behalf. But I think we don't give enough credit to Palestinians who have lived with this conflict for decades and who feel they are ready to see something new. A Palestinian woman who thanked me for making the film said it was refreshing to see the conflict shown through a new and softer lens. That was exactly my purpose.
Your article failed to mention that my goal was to make a film that countered the hundreds of negative media articles and documentaries that leave viewers with a feeling that there is no hope for solving the conflict. In my heart, I believe there will be peace and that Jews and Arabs can live together - that is the message of this film and to know that message got across to so many Arab viewers is a major success. Certainly there were mixed reactions from audiences in general but I think it is necessary to take into account the gravity if this screening. This is the first time many Arabs have seen this conflict portrayed as anything other than a tragedy so it is a bit of an initial shock to see it as a comedy. However, even to my surprise, I got the same amount of laughs with each screening as I would at say, a screening in California or Spain. It is also the first time most Arabs have seen an Israeli portrayed as anything other than a villain in a film. That is a big deal in a country that does not allow Israelis citizens to visit.
Likewise, for Jewish audiences, it is the first time seeing a film with a Palestinian who is not a terrorist. I have received similar comments from both Jews and Arabs but once people realize that this film is not meant to represent either side's cause, instead it represents Hope, people who dislike the film begin to look at it differently. Your article speaks of the simplicity of the film but your review is equally simplistic.
I feel compelled to make it clear that the wall is not a "joke" to me nor is the suffering of either side in this conflict. In fact I remember you asking me that question and I specifically said that. The film also does not say that Jews and Muslims can "only" live together in Beverly Hills. It uses Beverly Hills to prove that they "Can" live together since so many doubt that it is even possible. That is probably the most well-received joke in the film that almost always gets a huge applause. Even people who have a negative opinion of the film love this joke because they know its true.
I appreciate your comments but you totally miss the point with the entire film and had the audiences agreed with you I would concede and tell you that what you have written is correct. However, I strongly encourage anyone writing about this film to attend a screening and see for themselves what people think about this film and its reaction.
The purpose of my letter is not to argue with your own opinions but tell you that you missed a unique opportunity to report on something new and different. Instead of focusing on the same cynicism about the conflict that we have seen for decades I wish your article could have conveyed some of these positive results.
I think your readers would have found it refreshing and insightful to learn that the notion of peace is still embraced by Jews, Arabs, and people around the world


Sincerely,
Ari Sandel
Director
West Bank Story