Oriental (2005)

Following the failure of the Camp David peace talks in 2000, director Avi Nesher captured conversations with Israeli and Palestinian politicians exploring the conflict's fundamental issues. At the same time, Nesher and cinematographer David Gurfinkel documented Elina Pechersky, a Russian-Israeli belly dancer, preparing for a performance with five Palestinian-Israeli musicians. The film connects these two narratives, blending history and myth, reality and imagination, to examine the profound breakdown in communication between the larger Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the personal stories within both cultures.