Originally broadcast on HBO, Hilla Medalia's documentary To Die in Jerusalem focuses on the aftermath of a 2002 suicide bombing in a Jerusalem market. The bomber was an 18-year-old Palestinian woman named Ayat al-Akhras. One of the victims was 17-year-old Israeli student Rachel Levy. The superficial similarities between these young women—who could easily pass for sisters—added a tinge of irony to contemporary media coverage and political commentary, yet Levy and al-Akhras came from very, very different worlds. Initially, the film follows an attempt by Rachel's mother, Avigail Levy, to seek a meeting with Um Samir al-Akhras, mother of the bomber, with the idea of achieving some degree of closure. But four years would pass before the mothers were able to confront one another, and then only through a satellite broadcast. Not surprisingly, neither woman is able to acknowledge the other's views on the problems at the root of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To Die in Jerusalem is painful to watch, especially when it becomes obvious that Levy's quest will not result in any hoped-for catharsis as al-Akhras stridently defends her daughter's action. The film poses a grim question: if the common bond of maternal loss cannot lead to any degree of reconciliation in the Holy Land, what will? DVD extras include a deleted scene. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
To Die in Jerusalem
(2007) 76 min. In Hebrew, Arabic & English w/English subtitles. DVD: $19.99. Passion River (avail. from most distributors). PPR. Volume 24, Issue 3
To Die in Jerusalem
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