By Lisa De Bruyn, Year 11
In a world filled with senseless violence, it is too easy to see things only through a filter of black and white. Nowadays, we seem to succumb to two opposing ultimatums. The “right” and the “wrong”, all depending on our unique perspectives, therefore vilifying the other. The documentary “Disturbing the Peace”, released in 2016, has been shown around the world for the past year, sharing with us its new landmark of hope.
“Disturbing the Peace” illustrates the torn world of conflict between Israel and Palestine, where both sides are separated by fear and history, however, both joined in pain. The journey follows the desperate measures taken by Palestinian fighters against Israeli soldiers and forceful responses from the Israeli government. The tension rises between the two groups as the movie progresses, until a spark of hope is ignited by a newly founded organisation, “Combatants for Peace”. The first unison of the former rivals begins, diverting attention away from violent demonstrations to symbolic and peaceful initiatives. “Combatants for Peace” begins the long journey of slowly repairing the rift buried deep inside each individual.
“Disturbing the Peace” is a true story where a light has been shone on the choices necessary to achieve peace. “Combatants for Peace” believes that communication is a more effective means to breach the gap between the Israelis and Palestinians. This film demonstrates that peace is not a given and to obtain it is a conscious battle.
Nevertheless, this battle is not only linked to those in the midst of conflict, but rather to everyone. Making a difference can be challenging, and as the producer Marcina Hale says, “share your ideas with the people around you, advocate your ideas and positivity everywhere you can. With that you will already make a difference”.
“Disturbing the Peace” inspires people to seek out a better tomorrow and not to passively accept the toxic today. “Combatants for Peace”, in addition to the unison of a few combatants, is alternatively about an expanding community. The more awareness of this attainable peace, the more warriors will be able to join the battle. Life is neither black nor white, not right or wrong. Sometimes we perceive our surroundings with a distorted lense, where we can forget that our opponent is human too. Both the Israelis and Palestinians have lost countless loved ones over many years from this dreadful war. Instead of attempting to cover up our vulnerability with violence, we should rather tap into our empathy to recognise how everyone, despite their political stance, has deep human emotions as well. To unite from the place of a shared pain takes courage and this thought-provoking film seeks to awaken the peace catalyst within us all.
Editor’s note:
In next week’s edition, an in depth article about Disturbing the Peace and Combatants for Peace with interviews of the directors and activists. Stay tuned !
