Please join us for this special screening followed by a discussion with
DR. ALON BEN-MEIR
Journalist, negotiator and professor of Middle Eastern studies
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. | Registration and Cash Bar
Screening begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.
The Tribeca Grand Hotel
2 Avenue of the Americas (between White and Walker Streets)
New York, NY
SPECIAL ADMISSION
UNA Members: $10
UNA Student Members: FREE
Guests and Non-Members: $15
In BUDRUS, it takes a village to unite the most divided people on earth.
When the residents of Budrus learn that the Israeli army plans to build the Separation Barrier through their town, cutting them off from neighboring Palestinian villages and uprooting their precious olive groves, they decide to organize. Under the leadership of Ayed Morrar, Palestinian men of all political factions come together to wage an unarmed struggle to preserve their lands. Victory seems unlikely until Ayed's 15-year-old daughter steps in to organize a female contingent that brings the women of Budrus to the front lines in a tense stand-off with the military.
As word of the nonviolent protest spreads, Israeli citizens, international activists and Palestinians from other villages join the people of Budrus to demand that the Barrier be moved. Struggling side by side, father and daughter unleash an inspiring, yet little-known movement that is still gaining ground today.
Featuring interviews with unarmed demonstrators, Israeli soldiers and the citizens of Budrus, this harrowing, action-filled, and ultimately inspiring documentary by director Julia Bacha has given hope to audiences around the world with its story of the ground-breaking nonviolent movement spreading across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Our Screening the Issues presentation of BUDRUS, the winner of multiple awards at international film festivals, will be followed this evening with a special guest appearance by Middle East expert Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, who will participate in a Q+A with the audience.
Guest Speaker
ALON BEN-MEIR
Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is an expert on Middle East politics and affairs, specializing in peace negotiations between Israel and Arab states. For the past seventeen years, Dr. Ben-Meir has been directly involved in various negotiations between Israel and its neighboring countries and has operated as a liaison between top Arab and Israeli officials. Dr. Ben-Meir serves as senior fellow at New York University's Center for Global Affairs where he has taught courses on the Middle East and international negotiations. Dr. Ben-Meir hosts "Global Leaders: Conversations with Alon Ben-Meir," a speaking series of debates and conversations with top policy-makers from around the world held each semester at NYU. He also regularly briefs at the US State Department for the International Visitors Program.
Dr. Ben-Meir writes weekly articles, including a syndicated column in the Jerusalem Post. His articles have appeared in scores of newspapers, magazines and websites including the Middle East Times, the Christian Science Monitor, Le Monde, American Chronicle, the Political Quarterly, Israel Policy Forum, Gulf Times, the Harvard Review, and the World Policy Journal. He makes regular television and radio appearances, and has been featured on networks such as ABC, Al Jazeera (English and Arabic), Al Arabiya, CNN, FOX, NPR, PBS and Russia Today.
He has authored seven books related to Middle East policy and is currently working on a new book about the psychological dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dr. Ben-Meir holds a masters degree in philosophy and a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University. He is fluent in English, Arabic and Hebrew.
Critical Responses
"What's most gratifying about BUDRUS is that the film enables us to feel some of the same emotions the participants experienced. Harmony is not a word heard very often in the West Bank, but that is the best way to describe the feeling of watching people working for a just and peaceful solution." The Los Angeles Times
"So far there is no Palestinian version of Martin Luther King Jr. But one candidate might be Ayed Morrar. A balding, mild-mannered activist, he was the mastermind behind the most successful initiative so far: nonviolent demonstrations a half-dozen years ago in the West Bank village of Budrus against Israel's construction of a security fence there... The saga is chronicled in this year's must-see documentary BUDRUS, a riveting window into what might be possible if Palestinians adopted civil disobedience on a huge scale." Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times
"BUDRUS is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser." The Washington Post
"A poignant chronicle... this inspiring documentary stresses peaceful resistance as the best means of conflict resolution." Variety
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UNA-NYC is grateful for the generosity of the Tribeca Grand Hotel, for allowing our organization the consistent booking of their state of the art screening room for our Film Talk series.
Nearest subway stations to access the Tribeca Grand Hotel area:
Canal Street station: A, E, C trains
Franklin Street station: No. 1 train
Also close, but requires a little walk:
Canal Street Station station: N, Q, R, W trains
View the Tribeca Grand Hotel neighborhood map and more directions