'To Die in Jerusalem'
Photo: Ran Shitrit
Suicide bombing on HBO
The documentary 'To Die in Jerusalem', which will be featured in the 2007 Jerusalem Film Festival, tells the story of the mother of a victim of a suicide bombing who examines the motives of the 17-year-old suicide bomber who blew herself up in a neighborhood supermarket
Director Hilla Medalia's documentary, "To Die in Jerusalem" will be featured on the American HBO channel in September.
The film, which will be featured in the 2007 Jerusalem Film Festival, tells the stories of Ayat al-Akhras, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl who killed herself in a suicide attack in a Jerusalem supermarket. Two Israelis were killed in that attack: The security guard, Haim Smadar and Racheli Levi, a 17-year-old Jerusalemite.
The analogy between the two teenage girls led the mother of the Israeli victim to try and understand what led the bomber to commit the murderous act. Through the personal stories of the two families' losses, the film explores their mutual pain, despite differences in cultural and religious beliefs, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and ultimately the hope for peace.
The film's most revealing moment is in an emotionally-charged meeting between the mothers of the two dead girls.
"To Die in Jerusalem" is an American-Israeli co-production of Israeli cable company "Yes", the American Triple Play and the New Israeli Fund for Cinema and T.V.
Hila Medalia, 30, is a graduate of South Illinois University, resides in the US and this is her first documentary film
