I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey of the Road to Peace and Human Dignity

synopsis

In January 2009, viewers witnessed the most dramatic live broadcast in the history of Israeli television. In a phone call from Gaza, Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish could be heard crying after the Israeli army had just killed his three daughters in a bombing raid on his home. The father's despair moved history, and immediately after the tragedy was publicized, the Israeli prime minister declared a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. However, this did not last long, so Abuelaish, known as the Nelson Mandela of the Middle East and nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize, set himself the goal of ending the conflict between the two countries. Only then would the deaths of his daughters have meaning, says the doctor, who rejects hatred and treats both Palestinians and Israelis. This straightforward and emotional portrait, whose title refers to Abuelaish's book I Shall Not Hate, shows how to heal an entire society.

“We need courageous leaders with moral courage. Risktakers who think of the human goal and future, not of staying in power. Because history will never forget them.” — quote from the movie

biography

Documentary filmmaker Tal Barda (* 1983) was born and raised in Jerusalem as the daughter of an American mother and French father. She studied film directing and production in Israel and art history and communication in France. Her documentaries include Woman of Valor, 100 Million Views, Family in Transition, and The Wonderful Kingdom of Papa Alaev.

film details

director:	Tal Barda
cast:	Izzeldin Abuelaish
producer:	Paul Cadieux, Maryse Rouillard, Isabelle Gripon, Tal Barda
script:	Tal Barda, Geoff Klein, Saskia De Boer
photography:	Hanna Abu Saada
editing:	Geoff Klein
music:	Robert Marcel Lepage
sound:	Gordon Neil Allen