New York 1947. Bobby Goldman, a Jewish American soldier who witnessed the liberation of the concentration camps, meets Saïd Chanine, an Arab from Jerusalem. In the carefree days following the war’s end, they quickly become friends. However, the arrival of Jewish refugee boat people in Palestine and the obligation for Arabs to share their land leads to a new, unending war. The two friends decide to embark for Jerusalem, convinced that peace is still possible.
The investigation published in 1972 is based on extensive historical research: radio recordings from Arab countries of the time, David Ben Gurion’s notebooks, the testimony of Golda Meir, British archives…
Why so much hatred and discord between Arabs and Israelis? Writer Dominique Lapierre asserts that this film sheds light on the conflict’s origins.
The film could not be shot in Jerusalem but on Rhodes (a Greek island). Thanks to cinematography and technology, the old holy city, a crossroads of the three monotheistic religions, has regained its former appearance. “It took me over fifteen years to make this film. I was missing a good script, a quality director, and finally the technology. With Élie the chemistry finally worked,” says André Djaoui, the film’s producer.
O Jerusalem does not legitimize the presence of Jews in the Holy Land, nor does it support an Israeli nationalist position. Even though the dramatic aspect of the film places more emphasis on relations between Jews (love story, father-daughter relationships, psychological dilemmas…), and despite the strong friendship between the two heroes, the theme of hope for peace between Jews and Arabs remains present.
Moreover, the episode of the massacre at the Arab village of Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948, is included in the script. It denounces and condemns the atrocities committed by Jewish extremists and symbolizes the exodus of Palestinians forced by fear and by Arab leaders who had promised them they could return as soon as the Jews were defeated.
However, one fact remains undeniable: the victory of a handful of Jewish men and women against the Arab armed forces. They defended their lives and managed to assert themselves. Is it a miracle, or due to the financial support they received, or perhaps the ego of Arab leaders convinced they would “throw the Jews into the sea,” or even due to the ceasefires imposed by the UN? This is no longer the time to seek culprits and false reasons. What needs to be understood is that irrationality triggers passions.
Neither the Jews, nor the Palestinians, nor the British, nor the UN had the right to treat the issue of the division of Palestine lightly and serve only their own ideals or economic interests. Today, this film should not again become the source of violent disagreements, as it shows how individualism, hatred, and revenge fuel a war. O Jerusalem does not offer solutions but a message of hope for future peace between two nations that have suffered for too long.
The film is to be screened in Jerusalem with representatives from all communities. Shirel, actress and daughter of André Djaoui, emphasizes the film’s educational role: “Go see Jerusalem and you will better understand this state’s creation history.”
Release in France on October 18 : Produced by André Djaoui and Elie Chouraqui in association with Jean Frydman, directed by Elie Chouraqui. Cast: Saïd Taghmaoui (Saïd Chanine), JJ Feild (Bobby Goldman), Ian Holm (David Ben Gurion), Maria Pappas (Hadassah), Patrick Bruel (David Levin), Shirel (Yaël)…
The book : Collins Larry and Lapierre Dominique, O Jerusalem
