Six films with varying viewpoints to be followed by panel discussions

SAN FRANCISCO, October 8, 2003 -- San Francisco State University presents "Exploring the Israeli-Palestinian Issue through Film," featuring six films on the long-standing conflict in the Middle East, from Nov. 4 to 6. Two films will be screened from 3:45 to 7 p.m. each day in room 133 of the Humanities building. Admission is free and open to the public.

The film series is an extension of SFSU's Year of Civil Discourse, created last year by President Robert A. Corrigan to promote constructive civil discourse among all members of the campus community.

"By bracketing each Israeli/Jewish film with a Palestinian/Arab film, we hope that our students and those arrayed on both sides of the issue can better understand the suffering that the war brings to everyone," said Jerald Combs, professor of history and coordinator of the Year of Civil Discourse. "We will have on- and off-campus experts present at the showings to facilitate discussion between and after the films and generate what we hope will be a civil discourse on the war."

The panel that will discuss the films and issues following each screening includes: Fred Astren, professor and director of Jewish Studies; Matthew Shenoda, lecturer of ethnic studies and faculty adviser to the General Union of Palestinian Students; Noura Khoury, co-leader of the SFSU Jewish-Palestinian Dialogue group; and Seth Brysk, director of San Francisco Hillel. Combs will serve as moderator.

The following is a schedule of the film screenings:

Tuesday, Nov. 4
• 3:45 p.m. Introduction
• 4 p.m. "Palestine is Still the Issue," directed by John Pilger. This 1977 documentary by the British journalist screened recently at the San Francisco Arab Film Festival. It features interviews of Palestinians and Israelis.
• 5:30 p.m. "As If Nothing Happened," directed by Ayelet Bargur. This dramatization of the impact of terrorism on an Israeli family was nominated for an Israeli Academy Award and screened at the 2000 Israeli Film Festival in Los Angeles.