Mordechai Vardi – The Field #FIPA2018

January 29, 2018

Mordechai Vardi - The Field #FIPA2018 fredfilmradio

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PODCAST| Matt Micucci interviews Mordechai Vardi, director of the documentary The Field.

Director Mordechai Vardi presented his documentary, The Field, at the 31st edition of the International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes (FIPA) in Biarritz, France, where it had its European Premiere. The documentary follows Roots, a Palestinian centre of nonviolence, created by Ali Abu Awwad on his family’s field. At the time of filming, not more than three hundred metres away, there were many terror attacks taking place, which involved, as Vardi says, army special soldiers “with their faces covered and weapons in their hand.” On the other hand, thanks to Roots, Palestinians and settlers sat down and talked with one another; “this is a real place for peace,” Vardi explains in this interview, “where everyone can say what they feel.” He also adds, “maybe politicians on both sides prefer that the conflict goes on, but the real people on the grown want to go on with their lives.” He reveals that he hopes this film will push politicians “to find a formula of how we can live together.”

The Field: Gush Etzion junction, between Jerusalem and Hebron: Ali Abu Awwad offers his family’s field as a Palestinian centre for nonviolence. Despite his life experiences (four years in an Israeli prison, his mother’s own five-year sentence, a brother killed by an Israeli soldier) Ali creates ”Roots” with local Israeli settlers to promote grass-roots work towards enabling political reconciliation. The film accompanies the initiative for 2.5 years and documents the changes transpiring on both sides.