Change Your Image
oilbaron31
Reviews
Promises (2001)
"Promises" is not enough
"Promises" is a feel-good sort of film -- far too easy for my taste, and not a good documentary. More like an opinion piece or a film essay. It's basically the "liberal" Israeli perspective -- the perspective that says "Well, wouldn't it be nice if we could all just get along?" without addressing the basic relationship between Israelis and Palestinians, which is embodied in the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This film essentially treats the Palestinian and Israeli characters as if they are on an equal footing, having a healthy ideological debate. The reality is, of course, far different.
If you want a more realistic portrayal of what is going on in the minds of Palestinians, and the situation that they face on a daily basis, I would recommend seeing "Gaza Strip" (2002) which is much more of a verite, unscripted piece of solid documentary work. "Gaza Strip" doesn't cover the Israeli perspective, but it does provide a much deeper picture of the Palestinians than "Promises". Also, "Promises" was filmed almost entirely before the start of the current Palestinian uprising, so it tends to paint what is already an out-of-date picture. The two films would complement each other, I think.