Take Courage

DVD Review: Little Town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem, today, as seen through the eyes and life of three men, a Jew, a Palestinian Christian and a Palestinian Muslim is the premise for this DVD. It follows some events from their lives and how they each got to the point of being involved in non-violent protest of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. At times the story moves along very slowly. But it is worth watching.

The documentary uses a mixture of black and white film and color film to tell its story. The use of historical film clips alone is worth the time to watch this movie. There is some good history presented here. The present day clips attempt to show what life is currently like in the Middle East. Almost every American that views this would have no idea of what life is like in a war zone. Watching this aspect of the film is a good learning experience.

The three men are the main characters and the movie moves through different parts of their lives. It is interesting to watch the dramatic reenactments of what they have gone through. When viewed as current events and history it is interesting. Each of the men has some kind of personal struggle and difficulty they have to work through.

One of the difficulties for me was how slow the story progressed at times. I also did not care for the way the closing song was performed. There did not seem to be much of a solution for the problem in the Middle East presented either. But my personal view is there will be no peace in the Middle East until the Prince of Peace, Jesus, returns to establish His Kingdom. Putting all of that aside it was an interesting documentary.

Through the use of film, pictures and words it showed what daily life may be like in the Middle East. That alone should motivate us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. The documentary is produced by EthnoGraphic Media. I received this DVD for free to review and offer objective feedback.

GRACE and peace to you,

Bill

(Romans 15:13; Micah 7:14-20)