Promises, a inspiring movie

"Why was communication essential to understanding among the children of Promises?"

Promises is a movie that surely influenced some people`s view about conflicts and showed the importance that communication has in today’s society. It showed how life in Jerusalem with the current conflicts between Muslims and Jews is. The movie proves how religion can be a powerful machine to influence people`s live, since that`s the reason why Palestinians and Israelis fight against each other. It use seven children lives to prove this diversity, some Muslims, such as Mahmud, Sanabel and Faraj who live scarcely on the edge of Jerusalem, the West bank; and some Jewish, Yarko, Daniel, Moishe, and Shlomo, who live in the Middle East. The directorB.Z try to make them meet and prove them that not everyone is evil, and yet, they could be friends and start fighting to global peace among all different types of cultures and religions.

The seven kids live 20 minutes apart only, however their boundary separate unlike worlds, in which each one of them support its physical, historical, emotional and mainly religious differences, saying that the other has no right to occupy Israel. The Jews encourage the idea that they were promised by divinely forces to the land of Israel, therefore try to take Palestinians away from Israel, and the Muslims supporting the idea that Jews cannot take them away from the place they were born, making them owners. Their families encourage their children to never accept the other religion and fight for their rights, and so by the beginning of the movie, the kids fell doubtful about if meet their “enemies” would be the right thing to do. Actually, they felt this way because since they were born, they heart about how their enemies had damned their lives and made it frightening and full of uncertainties.

On the Muslim world, we find Mahmud, Sanabel and Faraj. Mahmud was originally afraid of Jews and expressed hatred toward them. He believes just like the common Muslims that Israel belongs to Palestinians, however argued that maybe something could work out to prosper peace. In contrast, Sanabel totally encourage and support peace and compassion, saying that kids are not big enough to judge other people, even because they do not know each other. Even if Jews arrested her father and living in constant dangerous, she says that no matter the cost, she will fight for her peaceful ideas. Last but no least there is Faraj. He firstly was afraid of Jews, and believed that they are murderers, however when he met the other Jews kids, he supported their friendship, and yet, years later in 2001 he moved to the USA and lived with a Jew family, and showed that the reason why Arabs and Jews don’t meet each other is the prejudice and fear.

On the Jew world, we find Yarko, Daniel, Moishe, and Shlomo. Yarko and Daniel are twins whose family support Judaism. The children however, do not belief in the extreme Orthodox Judaism, and yet, they are very open mind toward Arabs, saying that neither sides is right about themselves. Moishe has a very strong opinion about righteous. He encourage the idea that the Arabs had invaded their “Holy City” and hope to become the Israel’s first religious commander in chief. Just like Moishe, Shlomo is an Orthodox Jew, having a very strong feeling of encouraging the attack against Arabs. He say that refuses to get in contact with them because of their different thoughts and cultures.

After B.Z. convince the Jews to meet the Arabs, the kids spend a hole day playing and knowing a little bit better about their lives and what they liked or not. What they noticed is that the differences between their people was little, and they had a bunch of likes in common. The kids played soccer, laughed, ate and danced without any prejudice.

By the end of the movie, it can be notice that what made the kid’s friendship born was their communication that they had along the movie, since by telephone when Faraj and Daniel talked with each other, to when they had fun together. Communication is the only way in which people can know other people’s point of view and get into an agreement. It is need to talk, listen to each opinion, and try to make a solution that will be satisfied in both sides. Communication can be the key for a peaceful world. We just need to have goodwill to make it true.