These are the questions Jerusalem teenagers attempt to answer through a series of short films. Every year since 1999 the staff of a program run by the Jerusalem Cinematheque's Department of Media and Film Education, and led by Gilli Mendel recruit 25 teenagers from the neighborhood schools of Jerusalem. Their task is simple: in five groups, decide on the best cinematic expression of "Identity" - hence the name of the program: I am -You are. Each year, Jewish and Arab children produce five films together. How do they decide on what to do and which idea to use? How to portray often-difficult relationships between Arabs and Jews? Can it even be done?

Yes, it has been done and we will see three films produced by this project. Not only are the films well put together, they are encouraging as the young people and their relatives address Jewish-Arab relationships head on and show that it is quite possible to reach across all types of divides; reach across in everyday life, without news fanfares or newspaper articles. Unfortunately, when we spoke with the program director she admitted that it is more and more difficult to accomplish that - the intensity of the conflict is polarizing the Jerusalem community to the point that perhaps these types of films cannot be made anymore. Yet, as long as these films exist and there are people to watch them, there is hope.

This session encompasses more than just watching three films:

"Zoo" (2000)
An exploration of how relationships can reach across cultures.

"Holy City" (2000)
A journey through Jerusalem with Jewish and Arab teenage guides

"May" (1999)
A search for an answer to the question "Who am I?"

Afterwards, Steve Steinbock, a Jewish educator and scholar, will facilitate a discussion. Gilli Mendel, the program director, will join us via phone and will answer questions from the Portland audience. The students participating in the program will have an opportunity to exchange e-mail with the filmmakers and staff of the program to further explore topics that might help them become more comfortable with the identities of others. Clearly, being comfortable with people of many backgrounds is a critical skill not only in Jerusalem, but also on the streets of Portland, Lewiston and any other place in the world.