Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Quick Reviews
NPR's series, P.O.V. is usually well worth watching, and last night's in particular was, it was called 'This Way Up' and was a documentary about the effects of the Wall in Jerusalem on the residents of a small Christian (Maronite Catholic I would guess from what the sisters were wearing...) and the workers there and of course the families of the patients. It was sometimes like a Top Lista Nadrealista skit gone Horribly Wrong at points and at other times I wanted to cry. A LOT of Americans don't realize there are Christian Arabs in Palestine, and that what Israel does has an effect on them too. Especially American Christians don't get it about Arab Christians. I know, I used to be one of those people who didn't know.
The workers have a very difficult time getting to work, the families of the residents have problems getting to and from their loved ones. They have to get authorizations to cross through the wall, and this means comforts they could bring their loved ones are hard to bring, their visits are less frequent. One young man's marriage decision, or rather the decision of his intended's family about the marriage hung upon authorizations and whether his future bride could keep Israeli citizenship since they'd be living on the West Bank.
Then there is the wall itself, a monstrosity! Walls don't work. The Berlin Wall didn't work and the Ultimate Wall of All Time, the Great Wall of China, massive as it was, failed.
Some of the elderly people shown reminded me of my neighbors in Sarajevo. The one shop left in the area of Our Lady of Sorrows also reminded me of the little shops near my place in Sarajevo.
The atmosphere of Jerusalem is indeed quite similar, if more grim from what I could see.
Then there was the show called 'Short List'. Short list is very short films hosted by a man who makes me think of Spider Jerusalem of 'Transmetropolitan' fame. The host has one rose colored lens and one clear lens.
They had a terribly funny animation that gave me some much needed laughter.
And night before last, I got to finally see some of the 'Axis of Evil Tour' and the 'Watch List Commedy Tour'.
These are Arab, and Muslim American stand up comedians, male and female who really were good. Again much needed laughs!
The workers have a very difficult time getting to work, the families of the residents have problems getting to and from their loved ones. They have to get authorizations to cross through the wall, and this means comforts they could bring their loved ones are hard to bring, their visits are less frequent. One young man's marriage decision, or rather the decision of his intended's family about the marriage hung upon authorizations and whether his future bride could keep Israeli citizenship since they'd be living on the West Bank.
Then there is the wall itself, a monstrosity! Walls don't work. The Berlin Wall didn't work and the Ultimate Wall of All Time, the Great Wall of China, massive as it was, failed.
Some of the elderly people shown reminded me of my neighbors in Sarajevo. The one shop left in the area of Our Lady of Sorrows also reminded me of the little shops near my place in Sarajevo.
The atmosphere of Jerusalem is indeed quite similar, if more grim from what I could see.
Then there was the show called 'Short List'. Short list is very short films hosted by a man who makes me think of Spider Jerusalem of 'Transmetropolitan' fame. The host has one rose colored lens and one clear lens.
They had a terribly funny animation that gave me some much needed laughter.
And night before last, I got to finally see some of the 'Axis of Evil Tour' and the 'Watch List Commedy Tour'.
These are Arab, and Muslim American stand up comedians, male and female who really were good. Again much needed laughs!
# posted by Katja R. @ 9:41 AM 
