Oh, one last comment about "Taxi to the Dark Side." At the end when the credits started to roll, the ususal applause was not there. Everyone was standing and basically said the same word at nearly the same time. "Impeach."
Remember these seven women. They have the greatest power of all Palestinians and Israelis. They found common ground to build on while finding friendships stronger than the war that separated them.
It took a great deal of talent to put together a program whereby seven women, both Palestinian and Israeli could meet for a weight loss program. They came with the idea of losing weight but also with the idea there would be some growth beyond their ability to master the pounds they had accumulated in war weary countries.
They came with all the anger associated with their countries differences, but, yet there was tolerance in that anger. There was growth. Personal growth and bonding to achieve a balance of their personal goals and their desire to be friends. They sincerely identified each other as genuine women just as tired of the 'lack of progress to peace' as the next woman.
In some ways, the 'weigh loss program' gave laughter to greater issues which carried sincere brevity to understanding and sisterhood. It was delightful to realize they reached beyond their fears, their anger to a new level of understanding and became frustrated with 'the peace process' and it's failures rather than each other. It was wonderful to witness and it was genuine right down to their toes.
The sadness happened at the end of the film. No. No one dies. What dies is 'the process' they started. Each woman is revisited a year later as they each stated they would make a commitment to meet every month to continue what the documentary started. That never happened because the tensions between the countries overshadowed their ability to cope with providing childcare and securing meeting places that would be safe. They each still carried good feelings about the others a year later and held no regrets to their inability to carry through with their promise to endure past the initial meetings.
The real crime in all this is that within their realities lies 'the progress to peace.' After I left the venue and was waiting for the next film to begin, their failure to 'carry on' brought a reality to huge to overcome. The reason their 'weight loss program' fell apart was for the same reasons the Middle East Peace Progress falls apart, there are huge 'agendas' placed on the tensions between these two countries that reach all the way around the globe.
Every political figure involved in the Middle East Peace Process believes they will be 'the one' that will finally achieve a lasting peace, yet, there would be so much to loss if they did. The economic dynamics driven by the instability of the Middle East only begins to address the insincerity of the process.
Then to realize the extremes to which the Shia have gone to maintaining their culture and it's existance while oppressed by American power which has only dealt with Sunni Arabs in a peaceful venue of economic exchange brings dynamics of neverending deliverance from such hatred. It could easily be two generations before the Shia will find their 'level playing field' and it will occur with acceptance of the power they hold in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. They hold a majority, I do believe, in all those countries. It is a hard reality to contend with as the Shia are primarily 'entrenched' in leadership with their Holy Men for fear of losing what is left of them.
All this adds to the dynamics of the documentary in support of it's failure to achieve a 'lasting hope.' Israel has too many enemies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, that require tensions rather than peace to realize those two entities of people aren't even represented diplomatically at any peace table only adds to the reality of the failure of the seven women to prevail.
The saddest aspect of any of this is that a parallel which existed not long ago gave birth to a new hope. It is a new hope Tony Blair would be familiar with and that is the peace that was started in Northern Ireland by two women. Two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan (click here) whom literally brough the effort to end the conflict to it's beginnings. I feel the same potential is there with these seven women, but, it needs to be nutured and pursued to an icon of peace exclusive to Israel and Palestine to begin the process a new, with a freshness only women can provide. None of these gals were shy wall flowers, but, strong, outspoken women with clear ideas of their political realities and how best those politics serve their countries. I just wish their experience were given a priority to grow and be rewarded. It can't hurt.
