“Promises” Movie Questions



“Promises” Movie Questions

PROMISES follows the journey of one of the filmmakers, Israeli-American B.Z. Goldberg. B.Z. travels to a Palestinian refugee camp and to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and to the more familiar neighborhoods of Jerusalem where he meets seven Palestinian and Israeli children. Though the children live only 20 minutes apart, they exist in completely separate worlds; the physical, historical and emotional obstacles between them run deep.

Israeli Kids

• Moishe Bar Am

• Schlomo

• Twins: Daniel Solan & Yarko Solan

Palestinian Kids

• Sanabel Hassan

• Faraj Adnan Hassan Husein

• Mahmoud Mazen Mahmoud Izhiman

Answer while watching the movie

1. What is the name of the filmmaker? ______________________

2. What holy city do all monotheistic religions lay claim to? ______________________

3. What are some things you recognize in West Jerusalem that are also seen in America?

4. What is the first thing the boys do, which is probably different than anything you do, as soon as they get on public transportation?

5. What are some of the challenges facing the Palestinian kids?  What are some of the challenges facing the Israeli kids?

6. What does being Israeli mean for Daniel and Yarko? Moishe?

7. 8. What does the Israeli occupation mean for Faraj and Sanabel?

8. What was Mahmoud’s reaction to BZ being Israeli? Why did he react that way?

9. What do these kids not like about one another? Where do you think these feelings come from?

10. What do you have in common with these children?

11. How did Mahmoud feel about meeting Yarko and Daniel? Why?

12. How did feel about meeting Palestinians? Why?

13. What role did sports play in the film?

14. What does the rolling, burning tire symbolize? Explain.

15. Why did the filmmaker end with pictures of babies? Explain.

16. Why do you think the film is called PROMISES?

Paragraph Response-

Write a paragraph to answer the following question in the space below using 5-7 complete sentences.

10. How would YOU go about solving this crisis?  If you had to give our President some foreign policy advice, what would it be?

Promises Viewing Questions Name ______________________________ Period_____

Assigned Character__________________________________ Answer these questions during your portion of the movie.

1. What privileges does this person receive?

2. What barriers/difficulties does this person face?

3. Name something noteworthy or striking that your person said.

4. Name something noteworthy or striking that your person did.

5. What do you find hard to understand about your person?

6. What do you have in common with your person?

7. How, if at all, did your person change in the film? What accounts for this change or lack thereof?

8. What touched or affected you while watching the film? Tell two or three things.

Mini-Essay Homework (one paragraph 6-10 sentences):

Prompt: Is Promises hopeful or not? Answer this question with the character you have focused on in mind. Begin by citing the film by telling his or her story. How does he or she fit the events of his or her life into their perspective?

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