Screening of the documentary: "Live From Bethlehem"
March 30, 2009, 7:00 PM
Terrace Room, Paige Hall, Tufts University
Speaker: Joseph Sousa, Producer
Cosponsored by the Department of Anthropology, the Department of International Relations, the department of Middle Eastern Studies, the Charles Smith Endowment Fund, the Communications and Media Studies, and the Institute for Global Leadership.

Summary

"Live from Bethlehem" producer, Joseph Sousa, is an Emmy nominated writer and director, who has previously worked for public and commercial television. Sousa began by thanking the organizers and Tufts University for hosting the event. He offered a brief perspective on producing a documentary in a politically charged environment such as the one in the Palestinian territories. He also spoke of security and logistical issues on the ground that the production team faced.

In the wake of the second Intifada, Ma'an News Agency was established in 2005 as the only independent news network in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The documentary "Live from Bethlehem" tells the story of how Ma'an struggles to preserve its independence from political pressure and continuously challenges social, religious, and cultural norms about news making in the Palestinian territories. It is also a story about the diverse challenges Palestinian journalists face. Amira Hanania balances being a muckraking talk show host, an investigative journalist, and a mother of three-year-old twins. Photojournalist Fadi Tamas argues with heavily armed soldiers and dodges bullets to get his shots. Nasser Laham uses the Hebrew he learned at an Israeli prison to broadcast translations of Israeli news to Palestinian viewers.

The documentary also explores a number of criticisms of Ma'an including its dependence on financial aid from abroad and its use of the term "shahid" instead of "suicide bomber" in news coverage.

The questions from audience members focused on the production team's experience in the Palestinian territories and how the experience changed their perceptions of the conflict. Sousa explained that the experience showed him that the situation is a lot more complex and convoluted than it is portrayed in the news. He maintained that despite all of the criticisms and setbacks, Ma'an remains a very promising venture with considerable potential to contribute to the emergence of a healthy and free political discourse in Palestinian society.

The event was cosponsored by the Department of Anthropology, the Department of International Relations, the department of Middle Eastern Studies, the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, the Charles Smith Endowment Fund, the Communications and Media Studies, and the Institute for Global Leadership. 

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