SYNOPSIS | ORDERS | UPDATES | QUOTES | FESTIVALS JERUSALEM'S HIGH COST OF LIVING This documentary is a personal travelog of the filmmaker's account of the 2000 intifada. The Palestinian-American filmmaker embarks on a journey back to his city of ancestry, Jerusalem, only to find himself in the eye of the storm. One person symbolized the tragic losses of the first day of the Intifada. On Friday September 29, 2000, the 23-year-old Osama Mohammad Jaddah, an African-Palestinian from the Old City of Jerusalem, was on his way to donate blood, but destiny had a different plan. DIRECTED BY: Hazim Bitar MUSIC: Marcel Khalife LANGUAGE: English Narration & Subtitles LENGTH: 52 min "Hazim Bitar captures in Jerusalem's High Cost of Living (2001)...when the father of Osama Jaddeh, a young man hospitalized with what appeared to be minor wounds, learns that his son has died, he's incapable of breaking the news to his wife. As time passes and rumors circulate that Osama is gone, his father refuses to begin mourning, insisting on shielding his wife from the truth." Jared Rapfogel, SENSE OF CINEMA FILM FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS (partial) Ismailiyah International Film Festival 2004, Egypt. Carthage Film Festival 2004, Tunis. Dreams of a Nation Film Festival 2002, USA. San Francisco Arab Film Festival 2001, USA. Chicago Palestine Film Festival 2001, USA The George Washington University, USA The Georgetown University, USA University of Southern California, USA University of South Florida, USA University of Maryland, USA Duke University, USA American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Annual Conference, USA American Muslim Council Annual Conference, USA McGill University, Canada University of Concordia, Canada Carleton University, Canada Darat el Funun, Jordan ORDERS $20 - for personal/household viewing. $195 - for institutional/educational orders. To order click here UPDATES Review by The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. more... "Wafa Jaddah is trying to move on" By Johara Baker of JMCC. more... To protect our political independence we have refunded contributions by political organizations. more... RESPONDING TO CRITICS Documentary Director Defends His Purpose (The Middlebury Campus - Opinions) QUOTES ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY "A powerful documentary film." Marcel Khalife http://www.marcelkhalife.com   "A powerful and very captivating testimonial about the tragedies of the Jerusalem Intifada. A must see for every person who cares about the truth and the plight of Palestinians." Sami A. Al-Arian President, Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace "Hazim Bitar's 'Jerusalem's High Cost of Living' is a gripping, inside view of the first days of the Palestinian uprising against Israel's 35-year military occupation. Bitar takes us on a journey which starts with his own search for his family's roots in Jerusalem, a quest which takes a dramatic turn after Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, and the shooting of four unarmed Palestinians. The film, which challenges widely held stereotypes both about Israelis and Palestinians is essential viewing for those just learning about the Palestine-Israel conflict, and those who have been observing it for a long time." Ali Abunimah http://www.abunimah.org   "If there is a film I would recommend for activists regarding the Jerusalem uprising, this film is it." Khalid Turaani President, American Muslims for Jerusalem "Hazim Bitar puts a human face on the Palestinian uprising. Born out of desperation, it takes its toll daily on Muslims and Christians living precariously in Israeli occupied Palestine." Enver Masud Founder and CEO, The Wisdom Fund "This extraordinary film is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the Palestinian experience. Its value as a first-hand, eyewitness account of the first days of the new Intifada cannot be overestimated. It is living history and high drama, both devastating and uplifting at the same time, and evokes an extraordinary range of emotions in its audience. Everyone who wants to understand the ongoing conflict in Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Territories needs to see Bitar's Jerusalem's High Cost of Living." Hala Maksoud President, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee "The film was heartbreaking & many of us shared some tears when confronted with the Palestinian every day reality. If you have a chance, please do watch the film... you will find yourself being extra nice when you see a Palestinian in the streets of the USA. " Claudia Ordonez President, International Business Board University of South Florida  "original and fresh--a sort of day in the life for Jerusalem's Palestinians." Gamal Abouali, Esq. Former Palestinian Peace Negotiator Paris, France .   Contact us at http://www.alif.com/contact.htm Prices and terms subject to change without notice. © Copyright 2001-2006 by   H a z i m   B i t a r  http://www.alif.com Last updated:  12-Jan-2006 10:59 AM