The Billboard from Bethlehem

The Billboard from Bethlehem focuses on the advocacy group Combatants for Peace, made up of members of the Israeli Defense Force who refused to go on duty in the occupied territories and former Palestinian resistance fighters who are eager to pursue Gandhian nonviolence as a means of gaining statehood. Both sides needed to overcome grief and distrust—one Palestinian talks frankly of his young daughter being killed by Israeli soldiers, while an Israeli speaks of his teenage sister's death in a suicide bomber attack. The group's efforts were met with mild support by the Palestinian leadership and complete indifference from the Israeli government; but Bruce A. Barrett, the owner of a Connecticut-based billboard company, was intrigued enough by their endeavor to envision a mural advocating peace in the holy land, and through Combatants for Peace, he recruited Israeli and Palestinian children to paint the art work, which is on display as a billboard along Interstate 84 in Connecticut. Barrett, who also produced and directed the film, deserves some praise for supporting the movement's nonviolent goals, but it is hard to wrap one's mind around the strange nature of his project and the seeming absurdity of its end result (how does a billboard in Connecticut ultimately help forward the Israel-Palestine peace process?). The Billboard from Bethlehem works best when the members of Combatants for Peace speak freely about their own experiences and their hopes for the future, offering cogent insights on the roots of the conflict and the possible route to a peaceful solution. Regardless, the price (free) is hard to beat. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)