My So-Called Enemy

Many have lost teachers, friends, and even family members. All bear the emotional scars of growing up in a war zone where preconceptions of the “enemy” poison multi-cultural understanding. In July 2002, 22 teenage Palestinian and Israeli girls travelled to New Jersey to participate in a women's leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace. These young women in MY SO-CALLED ENEMY are articulate way beyond their years, and politics dictate their daily lives in a way no American teenager can possibly imagine. Documentary filmmaker Lisa Gossels follows six of the girls over the course of seven years from this initial meeting, discovering how they manage, or do not manage, to incorporate negotiation techniques into their home situations. You'll be amazed at the ferocity of the girls' opinions and inspired by the places they end up as young adults. If such caring young people are working toward conflict resolution, there's hope for a less violent future. (In English, Hebrew, and Arabic with subtitles) – B.B.