Just Vision

Just Vision is a nonprofit non-partisan and religiously unaffiliated peace organization based in Washington and Jerusalem that informs Israeli, Palestinian and international audiences about under-documented joint civilian efforts between the Israelis and the Palestinians to resolve the conflict nonviolently.

It was established by film director and producer Ronit Avni, who is also its executive director. She was involved in the award-winning documentary Encounter Point. Just Vision also produced the films Budrus and My Neighbourhood.

Background

Just Vision was formed in 2003 by Ronit Avni as a result of 2 years of research and over 475 interviews on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. The goal of the interviews was "to find out what kind of support they needed to advance peace. The overwhelming answer was to become more visible. The pockets of nonviolent activists throughout the region need a space to link and promote their messages."[1] The interviews eventually became the basis for Just Vision's films and Visionaries[2] interview series.

Filmography

The first film to be released by Just Vision was Encounter Point in 2006. Critics have lauded it as a "compassionate, brilliant film [that] goes beyond today's headlines".[3] It follows a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their lives and public standing to promote a nonviolent end to the conflict. The film explores what drives them and thousands of other like-minded civilians to overcome anger and grief to work for grassroots solutions. It is a film about the everyday leaders in our midst.[4] According to Anita Gates of [New York Times], "This film may prompt others to take up the cause."

Just Vision's second film, Budrus, is the best known, and has reached diverse audiences worldwide. The film is about non-violent demonstrations conducted by the residents of Budrus (a Palestinian town in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate) during the early 2000s to protest against the building of the Israeli West Bank barrier inside of the village.[5] Budrus initially debuted on the festival circuit in 2009 at the Dubai International Film Festival.[6] It also played at the Tribeca Film Festival.[7]

Since the release of Budrus, Just Vision has released two new film projects on the growing trend of home evictions in East Jerusalem. The first is a series of shorts called Home Front: Portraits From Sheikh Jarrah, followed by a 25-minute documentary, My Neighbourhood. Both projects follow the individual stories of Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent resistance to the eviction of Palestinian families. My Neighbourhood premiered in 2012 at the Tribeca Film Festival, and has been screened across the United States, as well as at the European Parliament.[8]

Awards

Just Vision is the recipient of numerous film awards:[9]

2006

Encounter Point

2007

2009

Budrus

2010

2011

External links

References

  1. ↑ Interview: Just Vision's Ronit Avni on nonviolent leaders in the Middle East
  2. ↑ Just Vision | Visionaries
  3. ↑ http://www.justvision.org/encounterpoint/press/reactions -Jack G. Shaheen, Author, Reel Bad Arabs
  4. ↑ http://www.justvision.org/encounterpoint/about About Encounter Point
  5. ↑ Nancy Updike, Hitting the Wall, LA Weekly, March 11, 2004.
  6. ↑ "The world premiere of Budrus went down well at DIFF". Timeoutdubai.com. December 20, 2009. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  7. ↑ Jordana Horn, Tribeca Offers Jewish Style and Substance, The Jewish Daily Forward, April 27, 2010.
  8. ↑ http://agenda.euractiv.com/node/80496 Special Screening and Discussion: Just Vision's New Film My Neighbourhood
  9. ↑ Julia Bacha | Staff Bio