Pierre goes back to his native town, and he has a mission: to give back to the children of Jaffa something that has meant much in his life: the ability to enjoy life, to heal, to improve, to have a new perspective in life, to change your life. What for him appeared to be an easy task soon proves to be an almost impossible challenge. In the beginning it looks like he's about to give up because social, political and cultural events have shaped the history and beliefs of the community; it looks like music and dancing might not be enough to alleviate some of the pain the city has and is still going through.
This man won't give up, and he uses every possible resource at hand to charm and convince the reluctant students. There are just too many differences between the Jews and the Palestinians. Some of the children are aware of the situation. Others don't understand why there is tension, and others are more open minded and willing to change the status quo, but it appears this is the minority.
Add to this, individual problems in many of the children's lives. Noor is still trying to overcome the loss of a parent. Other children live in poverty and haven't been exposed, relate, or have the means to fully participate. Worse is the fact, that there's fear of the unknown and the inability to see that, as the teacher mentions in the film, labels are unnecessary because everyone is the same.
Magic happens when an old dance partner shows up, charming the kids with her amazing personality and grace. There's genuine sympathy and affection, and the door opens. Slowly, some of the kids warm up, train, begin moving to the beat of different dance genres. They want to go all the way to the finals, and it's heartbreaking to see a preliminary selection. The film gets close to the children, and it shows the resentment and disappointment of those who couldn't go to the next level.
More surprises come before the end, and at first, we fear more setbacks, but things get better, more emotional, more intense, and we reach the final competition, a moment where differences disappear, and everyone concentrates on a common goal: to participate, to enjoy, to win, and to see the universal elements in all of us. There is a moment when the results are given, and we see an explosion of joy, but we don't see the faces of those who are the runner ups. Maybe it's not needed because the contest organizers come up with a very nice way to make everyone feel like a winner. It's truly a fantastic way to show unity, admiration, recognition, and respect.
"Dancing" goes beyond the usual documentary by exploring the background of a society and showing the past, present, and the possibility of change in the future. There is hope that these children will be seeds of change and help close the chasm that now exists. It's a lovely work of art, a way to show us there's still goodness in the world, and that we might never understand why our feet move to the beat, and our hearts beat in unison, but as long as that is possible, we have a chance to keep going until we feel safe and happy again.
This man won't give up, and he uses every possible resource at hand to charm and convince the reluctant students. There are just too many differences between the Jews and the Palestinians. Some of the children are aware of the situation. Others don't understand why there is tension, and others are more open minded and willing to change the status quo, but it appears this is the minority.
Add to this, individual problems in many of the children's lives. Noor is still trying to overcome the loss of a parent. Other children live in poverty and haven't been exposed, relate, or have the means to fully participate. Worse is the fact, that there's fear of the unknown and the inability to see that, as the teacher mentions in the film, labels are unnecessary because everyone is the same.
Magic happens when an old dance partner shows up, charming the kids with her amazing personality and grace. There's genuine sympathy and affection, and the door opens. Slowly, some of the kids warm up, train, begin moving to the beat of different dance genres. They want to go all the way to the finals, and it's heartbreaking to see a preliminary selection. The film gets close to the children, and it shows the resentment and disappointment of those who couldn't go to the next level.
More surprises come before the end, and at first, we fear more setbacks, but things get better, more emotional, more intense, and we reach the final competition, a moment where differences disappear, and everyone concentrates on a common goal: to participate, to enjoy, to win, and to see the universal elements in all of us. There is a moment when the results are given, and we see an explosion of joy, but we don't see the faces of those who are the runner ups. Maybe it's not needed because the contest organizers come up with a very nice way to make everyone feel like a winner. It's truly a fantastic way to show unity, admiration, recognition, and respect.
"Dancing" goes beyond the usual documentary by exploring the background of a society and showing the past, present, and the possibility of change in the future. There is hope that these children will be seeds of change and help close the chasm that now exists. It's a lovely work of art, a way to show us there's still goodness in the world, and that we might never understand why our feet move to the beat, and our hearts beat in unison, but as long as that is possible, we have a chance to keep going until we feel safe and happy again.