The Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the KSC Film Studies Department partnered to highlight a nonviolent activist group and show the Keene community that there is another way.
“There Is Another Way,” a documentary film about the Israeli-Palestinian anti-war group Combatants for Peace, was screened at the Putnam Theater on Thursday, Feb. 27, with a webinar discussion featuring two of the group’s members the following day. These two events made up the first installment of the Cohen Institute’s three-part series about Critical Response Events, according to an email statement from Dr. Kate Gibeault, director of the Cohen Institute.
“Part of the reason why the Cohen Institute wanted to host this film and discussion is because we know that our community is interested in learning more about what’s happening in Israel and Gaza,” Gibeault stated. “We felt it was important to provide an opportunity to converse with people who are living on the ground there – and who are seeking ways of moving forward through nonviolent means.”
Film Studies Department Chair Jo Dery spoke about why “There Is Another Way” was chosen as the film for the screening event.
“Combatants for Peace has made other media about their mission, but this film is really important because it looks at what this group had gone through in the aftermath of October 7 and it was really difficult to watch but really important to watch,” Dery said.
Dery added the collaboration between the two programs arose from an editorial previously published in The Equinox regarding a perceived lack of programming at the Cohen Institute about the occupation of Palestine and a subsequent letter to the editors written by Dery.
“We wanted to center the desire for peace and nonviolence … The story doesn’t start at October 7, and I think the film did a really good job highlighting that Combatants for Peace are against the occupation of Palestinian territories and I was glad that was directly in the film,” Dery said.
Dery described the bombardment of Gaza as a once-in-a-lifetime level of destruction to witness and expressed how horrible it has been to witness.
“Bearing witness, it’s something we have to do to keep our humanity,” Dery said. “If we don’t look, if we look away, we risk dehumanizing people who are suffering, and that’s a huge problem in the United States.”
Keene community member Gary Shapiro attended the screening and said he appreciated how the film spotlighted voices from both sides of the conflict.
“The Middle East problems and situation have troubled me for a long time and I’m trying to come to some understanding of what’s going on,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro added he hoped Combatants for Peace continues to build traction.
“I think the key is that we have to strike a new balance, new point and go forward,” Shapiro said.
Gibeault said before the film screening the next installment of the Cohen Institute’s Critical Response Events series will center around the crisis in Sudan.
Charlotte King can be contacted at
cking@kscequinox.com
