Following the journey of five teenage girls from Israel and Palestine on a cross-global trek to meet President Bush, filmmaker Deborah Sugarman's documentary begins with the reading of a letter requesting an audience with the president to discuss how America can help resolve Middle East conflicts. The girls' first stop is in Los Angeles, where they board a huge RV bound for Washington, D.C., visiting iconic American sites along the way and talking with people about the struggles back home. The group's encounters with various Americans are often poignant (including visits with a Holocaust survivor, Arab and Israeli immigrants in Dearborn, MI, and African Americans in Detroit), but perhaps the most compelling segment is during a radio interview on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, in which the host explains why a number of Native Americans enlisted in the armed services—despite the fact that their lands were taken from them in the past, many still felt compelled to protect their nation. Although more information about the girls' backgrounds would have added context to their stories (also, the girls never actually meet with the president—scheduling conflicts, natch), this is an insightful and timely documentary on Middle East woes, presented from a teen perspective. Recommended. Aud: H, P. (C. Block)
Dear Mr. President
(2006) 60 min. DVD: $29.95. Dear Mr. President (dist. by Big Kids Productions). PPR. Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
Dear Mr. President
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