"Concise, intelligent docu[mentary]... Dynamically edited... deftly avoids schmaltz in its delineation of grief and its celebration of cross-cultural activism."
- Ronnie Scheib, Variety
"A riveting documentary, which blazes with a kind of spiritual grace while remaining firmly grounded in a tragic reality..."
- Melissa Levine, Village Voice
"Something else entirely.... Ronit Avni and Julia Bacha never flinch from the brutal tragedies these men and women have endured, thereby capturing the heroism of their nonviolent choice."
- Hank Shteamer, TimeOut NY
"Assured, thoughtful and clear-eyed... nonviolent resistance could happen here. This film may prompt others to take up the cause."
- Anita Gates, New York Times
"A moving documentary..."
- Shazna Nessa, Associated Press
"Its a five star-shining, pro-peace-punching, hate-pacifying, trans-border bounding, ciné-humanizing, actively e-volving, power-fully-fulfilling, e-motion-al picture.
Congratz to you and your just visionaries"
- Peter Wintonick, Producer, Critic, POV magazine
"EncounterPoint is a very touching and convincing film with powerful visuals. It shows how human beings are trying to build bridges of understanding despite their personal pain and suffering. This eventually would create a culture of non-violence and of accepting the other. I hope that there are more people like that who would adopt such an attitude to reach a just solution for the Palestinian Israeli conflict."
-Khairy Beshara, Film Director
"
"
- Betsy Pickle, Knoxville News Sentinel
"Inspiring."
- Gregg Rickman, San Francisco Weekly
"Each year when I'm asked to single out my own favorites, I'm reluctant to do so lest I be thought to be playing favorites. But this year there are a handful of films that I want to cite simply because they embody, in one way or another, something of the spirit that gave birth to the Tribeca Film Festival. There are documentaries that introduce us to people who have experienced shattering calamities and found a way to go on: Black Sun, From Dust, Kill Gil, and Voices of Bam. Others are about people who know that what they do as individuals can make a difference in the world: Beyond the Call and Encounter Point."
- Peter Scarlet, Executive Director, Tribeca Film Festival
"I just wanted to let you know briefly how magnificent and important I thought Encounter Point was... Encounter Point, for me, was a very beautiful and constructive use of documentary and I really was profoundly moved and, most importantly, inspired by it. It's rare to come away from a film about Israelis and Palestinians with that feeling!"
- Nicola Behrman, Creative Director, Stellar Network
"The heartwarming story of four Israelis and four Palestinians who overcome their prejudices, see through their anger, and work together to find a peaceful resolution to the discord between their two nations... A nice message to hear, made even nicer by the fact that it's true."
- Joshua David Stein, HuffingtonPost.com
"In Encounter Point, the meetings of Jews and Arabs who barely spoke to each other before are as poignant as their testimony of the losses that brought them to that point."
- David D'Arcy, GreenCine Daily
"A portrait so unexpected and wrenching that it cuts right through the viewerÕs armor of certainty and prejudice."
- Michael Fox, J (The Jewish News Weekly)
"One of the few guardedly optimistic films about the Middle East that I have seen in recent years."
- George Robinson, Jewish Week
"An interesting documentary... [it] promotes a message of hope."
- Dan Dunn, AM New York
"Astounding. Inspiring. Moving. Sad Beautiful Funny. Afterwards I clapped and hooted with all my might, especially in saying thank you to the 4 peaceworkers- but I also felt so strongly how clapping is good right now but afterwards there is SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. Watching the film and feeling and crying (I started AS SOON as it began) is wonderful but the entire point is that the viewer does something and that came across so clearly. This is all infinite and huge but at the same time so small... there is so much to be done.
We talked and talked afterwards. People were coming out saying "That was just one of the big experiences that changed my life." I hope and believe so."
- Bard College Senior
"This film is different. I didn't think such people existed."
- College student from Jenin
"As an Israeli watching the film, I laughed, I cried… It was great."
- Young woman from Tel Aviv
"For me, "Encounter Point" was a glimmer of hope amidst the general gloom that hovers over Israel’s prospects for real peace. It raises tough and provocative questions about what “reconciliation" with Palestinians might eventually look like and feel like. No matter what your politics, this powerful work will make you think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in profound and unsettling ways."
- Rabbi David W. Nelson, Ph.D., Associate Director, Association of Reform Zionists of America
"I think you did a superb job in capturing different elements in both societies. There were moments in the film when viewpoints were almost painful to listen to. But those voices are part of the reality - on both sides - and they are what make the film honest. The film is not only thought-provoking and a great conversation starter - but it is incredibly touching and moved me to tears several times. I hope we'll find ways to use it."
- Yasmin Hamidi, Network of Arab-American Professionals of New York
"Never before has the activist community found such a powerful call. In a world of continually shifting blame for the thousands upon thousands of lost lives, the decades of fear and occupation and the dread of millions that their stories will never have a champion, no one can argue or misrepresent the articulate voices of bereaved family members and wisened peace activists this film alone has captured. Whether you are hardened to the politics of the Middle East or new to the depths of stoicism that dominate this region, you will not be able to dislodge the voice of these activists, calling out from the grave on behalf of their family and friends. There is a voice in the Middle East that can transform the weight of both sides' bloody history effectively into a demand for peace. Encounter Point has found it."
- Michael Wallach, Seeds of Peace Board Member
-Ranen Omer-Sherman, Gabelli Senior Scholar of Arts & Sciences, Judaic Studies, University of Miami
PLANK