All times are US EDT.
Film producer/director Awad Joumaawill be available to answer questions after the screening of the film. Also, Huda Al Imam, featured in this film, will participate in the post-screening Q&A discussions with the audience.
Jerusalem: A Rock And A Hard Place, a remarkable two-part documentary special from Al Jazeera English, goes behind the scenes with residents from each of the three monolithic faiths who share one of the world’s most extraordinary cities: Jerusalem.
Here, Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims and Christians exist in close geographical proximity and are bound in many ways by a common history.
But as these films reveal, they are also worlds apart.
The stark, every-day challenges of life in a city shaped by 70 years of Israeli occupation – with its oppressive discrimination, security walls and endless petty restrictions – aren’t always fully understood by outsiders. To followers of different faiths, Jerusalem is a sacred and spiritual place, to many tourists it’s most famous for its culturally significant monuments, but to those who live here its status is much more complex.
These two insightful episodes go beyond some of the common misconceptions, tracing the roots of the occupation and exploring the relationship that Jerusalem’s different communities have with their city and with each other.
For Omar Harami, a young Palestinian Christian, and a lead character in the film, the consequences of Jerusalem’s divisions are too often ignored. “This is an apartheid in the 21st century and the world is silent,” he says. “Israel builds walls to hide the [settler only roads] highway, so it becomes an invisible part. We Palestinians in East Jerusalem are invisible”.
Others, including some surprising voices from across the divided community, explain how the Zionist project to establish a Jewish homeland in the territory continues to reinforce inequality and prejudice in Jerusalem today.
Dr. Meir Margalit is a former soldier and settler turned human rights activist, who researches the history of the Jewish community. “Forty percent of the city’s residents are not citizens of the state, “he says. “They don't have the right to be elected. More importantly, they can lose their right to live in their city. “
Sahar Vardi, a young Israeli woman who refuses to serve in the armed forces, also condemns the divisions. “The education system, media, everything around us is by definition defined by fear,” she says.
The film also features interviews with UN Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov and South Africa’s ambassador to Palestine talking about their experiences in one of the most renowned cities.
Both episodes of A Rock and Hard Place have been produced and directed by Awad Joumaa and edited by Jameel Hodzic in cooperation with executive producer Stephen Phelps.
About Producer/Director
Awad Joumaa is an award winning multi-lingual journalist with over 15 years’ experience in television news and film production.
He developed, wrote, produced, and directed over eight documentaries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe on wide-ranging topics like the “War on Terror,” Palestine, migration, far right extremism, and Islamophobia, racism, identity, social cohesion, gangs, far right, and extremism.
His films have been screened at universities, cultural centers, and across community town halls in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States and have been viewed by millions of people.
In 2020, his special two-part documentary series entitled Jerusalem: A Rock and a Hard Place was presented the Bronze award by the New York Festival TV & Film Awards. Awad’s digital documentary Sons of Jerusalem got a finalist mention and a winner at the Telly Awards. Awad’s documentaries tackled one of the thorniest conflicts in today’s world.
Awad is currently an international news executive, media consultant, and researcher. His experience extends to hostile environments in areas such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian territories. He has received training in ethical journalism and war zones by the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights.
Currently, Awad is an Executive News Producer for Al Jazeera Media Network. He has led and coordinated several major stories in the field for Al Jazeera English, including countries such as Iraq, Syria-Turkey border, Libya, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
AJE’s news team, led by Awad, was nominated for the Golden Nymph Award for AJE’s breaking news coverage of the U.S. Embassy relocation to occupied Jerusalem. He also played a key role in AJE’s coverage of the Mosul war and NATO offensive in Libya producing several exclusive stories.
Awad is passionate about mentoring media students, local journalists, and freelancers.
He co-edited the book Journalism in times of War, which focuses on the unsung heroes of local journalism. Awad also writes and publishes news and feature articles.
As a certified media trainer with experience in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Africa, Awad assisted several TV networks by re-organizing their newsrooms and planning departments, bringing them in tune with international media standards.
He consulted several TV stations in Asia and Africa to help them develop and train their staff to produce the best content under tight deadlines and limited resources.
Film Credits
Both episodes of A Rock and Hard Place have been produced and directed by Awad Joumaa and edited by Jameel Hodzic in cooperation with executive producer Stephen Phelp.
Further information about the director’s awards can be viewed here.