The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is a battle of narratives.
As the war has gotten more mainstream post-October 7th, fostering unity and substantive discourse has become more challenging. Even within the region, the restrictive barriers amongst Israelis and Palestinians foster strict narratives that characterize each other as an inherent enemy. Fighting those narratives takes more than just telling people to have empathy because the restrictions within the Israeli and Palestinian territories prevent those bridges from being built. Filmmaker Joy Sela captured the dueling narratives and systemic indoctrinations through her fantastic documentary The Other, a must-watch for any advocate in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The Other provides a solid history and examination of the conflict from a historical, systemic, and interpersonal perspective. The film is incredibly accessible; thorough, while not getting so bogged down in the minutia that it loses the humanity Sela is focusing on. She highlights how the Palestinian and Israeli people are informed by their pain and how that pain gets exploited, assembling fascinating interview subjects, such as former high-ranking IDF members to ex-Hamas terrorists. She also interviews several musicians and artists, which helps break up the tension and prevents the film from feeling like trauma porn. Her non-judgmental eye allows everyone’s point of view to feel informed without being banally centrist, highlighting how intricate the division as a whole is rather than painting in oversimplistic broad strokes. Coupled with breathtaking visuals and strikingly captured moments, and The Other provides a well rounded portrait of the conflict.
Whether you’ve been following the Israeli/Palestinian conflict for years, started since October 7th, or are new and want to get more informed, The Other is a fantastic watch that provides a more personal lens to the war. This film puts the focus where it should be: on the people impacted by forced separation and narrative manipulation.
You can find more information on The Other and its future screenings here.