In the introductory post on LimmudNY, I explained that we’d be highlighting the work of some of the excellent presenters at this year’s conference. This is the first.
Ronit Avni is the Founder and Director of Just Vision, a non-profit that widens the influence of Palestinian and Israeli grassroots peace builders. In addition, Ronit is the director/producer of Encounter Point, a documentary about Israelis and Palestinians pushing past their own personal losses to move their communities toward peace. Encounter Point received the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival Audience Award and was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival, Hot Docs, Atlanta, and Jerusalem International Film Festival. Here’s the trailer for the film:
From JTA:

“Encounter Point” was shot in Israel and the Palestinian territories over a 16-month period. It follows eight narratives, including the story of Robi Damelin, an Israeli woman whose soldier son was killed by a Palestinian sniper; Tzvika Shahak, who lost his 15-year-old daughter in a Tel Aviv suicide bombing; and Ali Abu Awaad, who served time in an Israeli jail and whose brother was killed by Israeli soldiers.
All are active in the Bereaved Families Forum, a group that fosters dialogue among Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members. Others in the film are involved with similar peace-building initiatives.
These people disagree politically, though they all come together on one point: If they don’t talk to each other, the cycle of violence will continue. (full story)

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