American filmmaker Ari Sandel, who won an Oscar nod this year for his musical and comic take on the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict, brings his message of peace to Turkey at the Limak 18th Ankara International Film Festival.
Sandel was in Ankara last week for the opening ceremony of the ongoing 18th Ankara International Film Festival, his first visit to the heart of Turkish politics. Sandel, whose Oscar-winning (Best Live Action Short Film) 20-minute film "West Bank Story" gives an in-depth analysis of the delicate issue concerning both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, says he delved into more than 100 documentaries and dozens of books and asked his friends and colleagues about the sensitivities of the people of the region in order for his movie to be an "objective" one. It seems Sandel’s efforts have paid off as the director says almost 95 percent of the reviews he received for "West Bank Story" were positive.
The young director is also very humble, branding his Oscar-winner film an "amateur" one. He also says he would one day like to make a musical comedy centering on Turks and Kurds, though no concrete plans have yet been made.
He says his next project is to shoot a feature film. "You have very little time in a short film, so you have to very effectively say what you have to say or show what you have to show. In this sense it is very difficult but on the other hand it’s very easy, it does not require a huge budget.
"The young filmmaker says he could become a politician if he were not a filmmaker, and he already speaks like one: "The wall Israel is constructing in Palestine will only hinder peace efforts. Eventually that wall should be demolished in order to achieve a solution. The solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would constitute an example for the situations in Kashmir, Chechnya and Ireland.
"Sandel, whose "West Bank Story" opened the Ankara film festival, told Today’s Zaman during an interview following the film’s screening that he wanted to find a "source of hope" that the long-lasting Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end one day. The film aims to convey the message that "the two peoples are in fact very close to each other," and to support the idea of peace.
Sandel says he visited the West Bank, Israel, Egypt and Morocco to prepare for the film. "I have close friends from Israel and Palestine and my best friend is an Egyptian. I have good knowledge on the Middle East," he says.
The film was not shot on location in the West Bank, but in Santa Clarita in the US. "I spent months searching for the most appropriate location to shoot the film. … I would have wanted to shoot it in West Bank, but the budget was restricted, and there were no actors to go and act there. And it would have been impossible to employ the effects, which included gunfire and explosions, if we filmed it in West Bank.
"Sandel, the son of an Israeli father and an American mother, says his father had no idea he was working on a film during the production stage. The film was Sandel’s master’s thesis, and his father was looking forward to his son’s graduation. "But now, all the guests visiting our house have to watch my film. My father is so taken with filmmaking now he suggests all sorts of things, like making a film about being stuck in an elevator. These are maybe bad ideas," he comments with a laugh. Sandel says he had no idea he could win the Oscar when he sent his film to the Academy. "It was shown in Dubai in 2005. Toward the end of that year I sent it to the Academy. I had no expectations," he recalls. Sandel says he was even doubtful during the Oscars ceremony. "Another contender was sitting in the front row. I thought he would be named the winner, but it did not turn out to be so.
"Showing what people are afraid to confess
Sandel believes the reason that his film received the coveted award is that it shows what Jews and Palestinians are afraid to confess. "They share numerous common traits. That was what I wanted to showcase. Everybody thinks the war will never be over, but my film is optimistic. People want to be convinced that the war will end and my film supports this idea.
However Sandel admits things are not that easy in real life. "In order to know how the problem will be resolved, I have to live there and breathe the air of the region. Thus I cannot tell how the conflict will be resolved, but it has to. … There are Palestinians and Israelis who demand peace, but that would take some time. African-Americans gained their freedom in the 19th century, but it took an entire 100 years in reality.
"In fact "West Bank Story" contains strong criticism for both sides, but Sandel says he received positive reviews. "I started receiving approximately 1,500 e-mails a day after its screening. At first everybody was shocked. People saw that the Israeli soldiers - who are usually perceived as violent - can fall in love as well. I received interesting reactions from the Arab world. What the Arabs did not like was the Israeli soldier kissing the Palestinian girl at the end of the film. The orthodox rabbi did not like the dance scenes. Of course, it is impossible to make a film that would please everyone. I also received a comment asking why the girl was a Palestinian and why the soldier was an Israeli soldier. This does not have a particular reason. The Israeli had to be a soldier because there was a soldier in the screenplay. And there had to be love in the film, just like ’Romeo and Juliet’," he says.
However Sandel adds, neither of the sides were supported or highlighted in the film. "Fairness is very important for a film to be credible. If it supports one side over the other, it would not be watched." Sandel believes he has been fair in his criticism, as well. "Fairness was necessary in order to show that both sides share similarities and that what matters is only peace."