Lessons in Fear (2005)

Does the solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians rest in the classroom rather than in the angry, fearful streets of the region? Can better answers be found in schools rather than political conferences? Lessons in Fear explores Israeli and Palestinian education from the ground up. In a media world obsessed with conflict, Lessons in Fear takes a humanized, behind-the-scenes look at how ordinary kids are educated in one of the world's trouble spots. The film looks carefully at the lives of students and teachers, who find themselves on the front lines intellectually and physically. Their battleground is one of knowledge and self-examination. Their challenges are a deeply engrained culture of violence, the denial of history and legacies of hatred, propaganda and segregation. Lessons in Fear is not a litany of wrongs. The film is a character driven portrait of courage in action as it presents an unvarnished look at the struggle to make education a positive force in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.