Middle East: Trauma and Hopes of the Young

Middle East: Trauma and Hopes of the Young offers a glimpse of hope, focusing on two current efforts to help Jewish and Palestinian teenagers come to terms with the profound social and political upheaval in their lives. The first half of the documentary follows several adolescents at an Austrian “peace camp,” where they engage in discussions and activities to help cultivate peace-building attitudes that will hopefully continue into adulthood. Many of these teenagers from opposing worlds are articulate, intelligent middle-class kids, and the social workers and psychiatrists at the camp clearly believe the attendees will benefit from the experience. In addition to conducting interviews with the teens and German, Jewish, and Palestinian counselors and psychologists, director Walter Wehmeyer captures the students engaging in various activities and events (dancing, play-acting, roundtable discussions). More gut-wrenching is the second half of the film, which profiles the work of child and adolescent psychiatrists with traumatized kids in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Gaza, and a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Here, psychiatrists recount specific cases of children and teenagers rebuilding their lives in the wake of losing family members in bombing raids or terrorist attacks, followed by brief interviews with the children themselves—effectively personalizing each story and driving home the tragic circumstances in which they live. A good discussion starter, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (A. Cantú)