EGM’s Little Town of Bethlehem Film To Be Screened During Upcoming Gandhi-King Conference

Oct. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- This year, the Gandhi-King Conference will be partnering with the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) to promote a dynamic exchange among individuals and organizations working for a more just and peaceful world. The screening of the documentary and follow-up discussion with panelists is scheduled for Friday evening, October 21.

“We are both pleased and excited that the organizers of the Gandhi-King Conference have chosen to include a screening of Little Town of Bethlehem as part of their planned events,” said EGM president Bill Oechsler.  “The film has already proven itself as a catalyst for positive dialogue and action since last year’s launch and I have personally witnessed it’s amazing power of engagement.”

Little Town of Bethlehem was produced by Mart Green and directed by Jim Hanon. This full-length documentary shares the inspiring story of three men – Sami, a Palestinian Muslim, Ahmad, a Palestinian Christian, and Yonatan,  an Israeli Jew – who were born into violence but willing to risk everything to find a path to peace through non-violent resistance. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi, these three men learned that peace is possible when adversaries discover the humanity in one another. This film offers a model for conflict resolution that reaches far beyond the Holy Land.

In describing the film’s unique perspective, director Jim Hanon said, “Little Town of Bethlehem doesn’t focus on who is right or who is wrong. Rather, it shows what it truly means to ‘love one’s enemies.’”

“The Gandhi-King Conference is deeply grateful to the creators of Little Town of Bethlehem” said Jacob Flowers, director of the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center in Memphis,“ and is thrilled to be screening the film at this convergence of grassroots leaders working for nonviolent social change.  The documentary’s focus on the nonviolent peace movement in Israel and Palestine is a narrative that has been largely ignored by the mainstream media, but is such a vital part of the story to be told. Despite what is seen on TV, I can tell you from my personal nonviolent resistance work in Palestine that it is the dominant narrative”

Activists, artists, scholars and others are expected to join over 1000 students and university faculty members to attend the screening of Little Town of Bethlehem at 7:30 PM, Friday, October 21, in the University Theater on the Christian Brothers University Campus in Memphis.

www.littletownofbethelem.org
www.egmfilms.org

EthnoGraphic Media is an educational non-profit organization that explores the critical issues of our time. As a community of artists and filmmakers, EGM uses media to tell true stories of hope and compassion in the midst of suffering and strife. EGM believes that gaining a deeper understanding of the human condition inspires positive action. Other film projects include The Grandfathers, Miss HIV and Beyond the Gates of Splendor.