Lessons in Fear
(52 minutes) Israel/Palestine
Director/Producer: James Cullingham

Description:
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.

Biography:
James Cullingham is an educator, award-winning documentary filmmaker, a widely published writer, and seasoned national broadcaster. Cullingham is coordinator and a professor in the Journalism Broadcast program at the School of Communication Arts of Seneca College in Toronto. His documentaries concerning social justice, politics, history, and popular culture have been screened around the world. Cullingham has been published by Canada's leading newspapers and magazines. He appears as a guest on a number of Canadian public affairs and cultural television programs. In 2003-2005, Cullingham earned a Masters degree in history at the University of Toronto. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in history at Toronto's York University Ontario with an Honor's Degree in Native Studies and French. He is an accomplished wilderness canoeist and avid hiker.

Contact Information:
Tamarack Productions
266 Bain Avenue,
Toronto, ON
Canada M4K 1G3
E-mail: james.tamarack@rogers.com

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