Creator's Statement

I was living in Jerusalem for six months when I realized something peculiar. Journalists would position themselves at two main points in the city, points of mass exodus at certain times of the day, and wait with their cameras turned on. Where were they in the markets, the neighborhoods, the schools--where most of daily life took place? Did the violence they portray characterize the realities of the local inhabitants? This curiosity spurred me to make this film, as I went out with my camera every day to observe local life in the diverse neighborhoods of Jerusalem and its outskirts. My intention behind this film was to show a wider portrait of the city and the lives in it, with a focus on the quotidian, beyond the narrow sensationalized perception of conflict conveyed by the media--that ironically, drives more conflict. I hope this film will remind audience members that no film or media report can ever present the full picture of life, with its wondrous contradictions and complexities.