Educational Media Reviews Online

More than 175 people have been killed by suicide bombings in Israel since 1993. The Bombing investigates the incident that occurred on September 4, 1997 from multiple angles. Three Palestinian men ages 22 to 25 blew themselves up on Jerusalem's busy Ben Yehuda Street, leaving five Israelis dead and others wounded. Among the dead were three teenage girls. This documentary is a powerfully sensitive treatment of the bombing's aftermath and the continuing state of strife in Israel.

The Bombing appropriately opens with an Israeli afternoon news broadcast announcing the bombing event followed by shaky close-ups of the chaotic outdoor scene. The anguished wails of sorrow reverberate here and throughout the film. The documentary exposes viewers to the psychological trauma of everyday existence in Israel and provides intimate portraits of this country's inhabitants who live under constant fear and disillusionment. The filmmakers' skillful interviews with Palestinian and Israeli parents and siblings of the bombers and victims transcend the stories of personal tragedy and loss to reveal the broken psyche of a country torn apart by years of war and irreconcilable differences.

Israeli victim Smadar Elhanan's grandfather was a pioneer of the Israeli/Palestinian dialogue. Smadar's mother Nulit is interviewed in London where she moved temporarily to grieve her daughter and escape her embittered country. Speaking of Israel, she said, "The place has betrayed us with its cynicism. It failed to protect us." We visit the home of Palestinian Youssef Shouli's father who shows how the Israeli Army demolished their home after their son's suicide bomb attack. This Israeli practice of retribution punishes the family who did not approve of what their son did. During the films last moments, we view the strained and sober attempts at reconciliation between a couple and the Palestinian family of one of the bombers who wounded their daughter. To prepare for this visit they met with a Palestinian psychiatrist to help heal their wounds and move on. These and other equally compelling interviews are haunting testimonies of the fragile steps to peace.

The Bombing won an honorable mention in Israel's 1999 DocAviv International Documentary Film Festival. Its audio and visual technical qualities are first rate; the use of personal interviews compelling. At times the editing could have been a bit tighter; perhaps there were just a few too many posed cutaways and street scenes. The use of translations and captions was excellent. This film is highly recommended for secondary and college courses on the Middle East, Israel, Jewish Studies, and Psychology.