Occupation 101; Award Winning Documentary

donegal | miscellaneous | press release Sunday October 28, 2007 08:55 by Seamus Mac Liam marie at mariecrawley dot com 071 985 1375/048 686 58938

Directors in Ballyshannon

The European premiere of the award winning documentary 'Occupation 101' will be taking place in Ballyshannon, County Donegal in the Abbey Arts Centre on the 8th November at 8pm.

'Occupation 101' the multi-award winning documentary on the root causes of the Israel-Palestinian conflict will be shown in the Abbey Theatre Ballyshannon on Thursday 8th November at 8.00. Film directors Sufyan and Abdallah Omeish will be present at the showing to answer questions and participate in a discussion about the documentary. The showing is part of the film's European premiere tour hosted in Ireland by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Occupation 101 is a thought provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and US government involvement. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the conflict and dispels many myths and misconceptions.

Described by the Los Angeles Journal 'as one of the best documentaries 'and by InFocus ' if a picture is worth a thousand words, then Occupation 101 is worth a thousand books", Occupation 101 details life under Israeli military rule, the United States' role in the conflict and the major obstacles which stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. Rare footage and testimony never shown by most media outlets are presented. The roots of the conflict are explained with incisive commentaries from leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been suppressed in Western media.

The film covers a wide range of topics, which include the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880's, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, settlement expansion, the role of the U.S. government, the second Intifada (2000), the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.

Occupation 101 features a leading list of some of the most credible Middle East scholars, historians, peace activists, journalists, and humanitarian workers, including Albert Aghazarian, Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Noam Chomsky, Cindy & Craig Corrie, Richard Falk, Paul Findley, Neta Golan, Jeff Halper, Amira Hass, Rashid Khalidi, Ilan Pappe, Gila Svirsky, Alison Weir, and others.

The showing in Ballyshannon with the directors is a one off event and admission is €7. The showing is hosted by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.