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Yulie Cohen
Documentary Films & Workshops
My Terrorist
The Jerusalem Film Festival 2002:
“The Wolgin jury decided to award a special jury prize in the documentary category to My Terrorist directed by Yulie Cohen Gerstel "for the filmmaker's courage in striving for reconciliation in the face of violence and in documenting that struggle in an honest and sensitive manner."
In 1978, filmmaker Yulie Cohen was wounded in a terrorist attack by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. A stewardess for the Israeli airline El Al, she was attacked along with other crewmembers when getting off the bus to the hotel in London. In a remarkable twist of faith, twenty-three years later Cohen began questioning the causes of violence between Israelis and Palestinians and started to consider helping release the man who almost killed her, Fahad Mihyi. From the time she was a young girl, Cohen considered herself a staunch Israeli nationalist. Growing up in an upper middle class neighborhood in Israel (where her neighbors included future Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Arik Sharon, and military hero Moshe Dayan), she patriotically served in the military. After working as an Israel coordinator on a film shoot and visiting the occupied territories, Cohen came to realize that both Israelis and Palestinians played a role in perpetuating the cycle of hostility and bloodshed. It was her goal to stand up as a survivor and call for reconciliation on each side. An inspiring story of forgiveness, Cohen’s poignant documentary is a moving testimony of human compassion and a call for peace.
IDFA, Nov. 2002 Nominee for the Silver Wolf Award:
“In My Terrorist, Israeli film maker YulieCohen Gerstel reveals how she, a former flight attendant became the victim of a terrorist attack, and how 23 years later, still haunted by the deadly assault, she's decided to help "her terrorist" get released from prison. It's an act of reconciliation, which is also politically very unpopular in Israel at this violent and volatile time. We applaud her courage for inviting us on her journey as she wrestled with and eventually overcame her own doubts”.
Screenings' List
2003
1. One World International Film Festival, in competition Prague, Czech Republic
2. femme totale e.V. c/o Kulturbüro der Stadt Dortmund, Germany
3. Reykjavik Iceland Shorts &Docs. Iceland
4. SAN FRANCISCO INTENATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
5. Infinity Festival Turin Italy, special mention by Provincia di Cuneo for the high value for the cause of peace.
6. Jeonju International Film Festival, Seoul Korea.
7. Corporación CINEMEMORIA Quito – ECUADOR DOC
8. Washington DC International Film Festival.
9. The Norwegian Documentary film festival.
10. Toronto Jewish Film Festival.
11. Leiptzig Cinemateque, Germany.
12. Budapest, Hungary.
13. Montreal Jewish Film Festival.
14. Annual Vancouver Jewish Film Festival.
15. 7th Seoul Human Rights Film Festival, Seoul, Korea
16. The Amnesty International Film Festival Los Angeles
17. Seattle, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, and Laramie, WY
18. Human Right Watch NYC with Tribeca Film Festival
19. Berlin Jewish Film Festival.
20. Calgary International Film Festival Canada,
21. FILM FORUM, New York City
22. MAKOR/NYC
23. GATHERING ON PALESTINE / ISRAEL AND OTHER CONFLICTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. Barcelona,
24. Jewish Culture Centre, Krakov, Poland
25. THE 5th ENCOUNTERS SOUTH AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL 20 –Cape Town, Johannesburg
26. Locarno International Film Festival in the frame of videotheque on the issue human rights
27. Denver International Film Festival
28. Union Theatre, Milwaukee Univ. Wisconsin, three screenings
29. International Human Rights Film Festival, Nuremberg.
30. The fourth Port Townsend Film Festival Washington.
31. The District of Columbia JCC Morris Cafritz for the Arts.
32. Halfway to Hollywood Film Festival, Kansas City..
33. Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival
34. 17th Leeds International Film Festival,
35. DokumentART, Neubrandenburg, Germany- in competition
36. Human Right Watch Film Festival, Barcelona
37. ANNUAL JEWISH STUDIES FILM FESTIVAL Purchase College, State University of New York
38. cinema mediteraneen Montpellier Film Festival, In competition
39. Brighton, Birmingham & Bristol: UK Jewish Film Festival. Imperial War Museum, London.
40. Phoenix Cinema, London,.
41. Boston Jewish Film Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts.
42. ITALY The Province of Cuneo - Festival of Literature Cuneo
43. The Nashville Jewish Film Festival,
44. Search for Common ground film festival, George Town Univ. Washington DC.
45. Kassel Dokumentarfilm- & Videofest. Germany
46. One World Documentary Film Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia
47. FONDO MIXTO DE PROMOCION CINEMATOGRAFICA Bogotá. and in ten cities more in Colombia.
48. Brazil Documenta III Forum International of Documetaries,.
49. Council for the Defence OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS Prishtin –Kosov.
50. PALM BEACH, JEWISH Film Festival
51. The Miami Jewish Film Festival 2003.
52. Innsbruck, Austria "cinematograph" LEO KINO
53. HUMAN RIGHTS IN FILM Warsaw and 8 – 12 more cities in Poland and Kirgizstan as well as Ukraine.
2004
54. Davie Jewish Film Festival, Florida.
55. World Community Film Festival, Vancouver, Canada..
56. Portland Jewish Film Festival, Oregon
57. Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
58. Pacific Jewish Film Festival, California
59. Carolina Theatre, North Carolina
60. Temple Beth El, Jewish Film Festival
61. The 22nd Ales Film Festival - Itinerances France
62. Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival
63. 23rd Istanbul International Film Festival
64. German Television Documentary Award - nominated for the Grimme Price
65. Center for Jewish History, NYC, Monday Night Film Series for fall’04
66. European Prize of the Ilaria Alpi Journalistic Television, Riccione Italy
67. Cleveland Jewish community
68. Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center, US
69. Boston Jewish Film Festival
70. Portugal - FESTROIA - International Film Festival
71. Minnesota Women's Music Film Festival
72. International Jewish Film Festival in Argentina (FICJA) competitive section
73. TERRE DES FEMMES Film Festival German city of Tuebingen by the human rights organization for women
74. 80 Conference of Women Partnership for Peace In the Middle East "Towards Justice and Reconciliation, Jordan
2005
75. FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE JUDIO Mexico City
76. March 31 and April 1- in Buenos Aires "Film, Woman and Human Rights".
77. Two Boots Pioneer Theater 155 E. 3rd St. NYC at the Homeland Insecurity Series
78. Nansen Dialogue Project, Nansen Academy, Lillehammer, Norway.
79. Second Annual Israeli/Palestinian Awareness Day '05 College of the Atlantic, Main US
80. The 2nd festival «Israel-Palestine: What Can Cinema Do?» Trois Luxembourg in Paris
81. DocinEurope, the Italian meeting with European documentaries, Italy July '05.
82. Department of Film, Video, and New Media School of the Art Institute of Chicago
83. University of Maine
84. Harvard University, Massachusetts 5
85. University of Notre Dame Women’s Studies Indiana &University South Bend
86. 92. New Mexico Middle East Film Festival US
87. Jewish Community Center, RI. US
2006
88. Voices Forward - Enlightening three days Festival Middle East stories: Toronto
89. International Film Symposium Politics, Religion, and Violence in the Mirror of Film, University Innsbruck, Austria Institut für Systematische Theologie
In use for Educational purposes:
90. DANISH FILM INSTITUTE
91. New School University
92. Columbia University
93. Emory University
94. UCLA Film and TV Archive
95. Patchogue Medford Library
96. United to End Racism
97. Fort Collins Public Library
98. Seattle Community College
99. Rutgers University
100. Congregation Beith Elohim
101. Congregation Bnai Emunah
102. Congregation Dorshei Emet
103. University of Arizona, Middle East Studies
104. Jericho Union Free School
105. United for Justice & Peace
106. Cambridge Public School
107. University of MA/Boston
108. Eleanor London Public Library
109. Schenectady City Public Library
110. Marion County Public Library
111. San Diego Public Library
112. Keene State College
113. Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore
114. Loudoum County Public Library, Virginia
115. Eugene Public Library
116. Kalamazoo Public Library, Minnesota
117. Centre for Nonviolence, Indianapolis
118. Carnegie Mellon University
119. Fondasione Sandretto Re.
120. Empire State College, NYC
121. Malcolm X College
122. Coutts Library Service, NY
123. University of TN/Knoxville
124. California State University, Los Angeles
125. University of Vermont
126. University of MI/Dearborn
127. University of Chicago
128. College of The Atlantic, Maine
129. Fordham University
130. Harvard University
131. Duke University
132. Indiana University
133. Milligan Cillege
134. University of Redlands
135. St. Marys University
136. University of York, Canda
137. Romilly George UK
138. University of London Goldsmiths' College
139. Open Society Archives at Central European University, Budapest
140. Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin
141. A cultural coordination programs for Europe - Israel – Palestine - A project of the association Memory of the Future. Artistic and cultural resources for a world without borders. France / Germany / USA / Israel – Palestine.
142. Royal Film Commission, Jordan
143. Master Sheng Yen, Dharma Drum Mountain Nung Chan Monastery, Taipei Taiwan
143. Bridgewater State College
144. Chapman University
145. Joliet Junior College Library
146. University of Denver
147. Harvard Law School.
148. Pierce Community College
149. Penn State University
150. Cuyahoga Comm College
151. Erskine College
152. University of Virginia
153. University of MA/Amherst
154. University of TX/El Paso
155. Syracuse University