BUUJME is hosting a film screening of Where Olive Trees Weep. The film gives background to the current crisis in Israel/Palestine and brings to light the lives of people we met on our 2022 journey in the occupied West Bank. Their universally human stories speak of intergenerational pain, trauma and resilience. We hope you can join us for this event and stay for food and conversation in the undercroft afterwards.  

**Sliding scale or no cost tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event. 

Brooklyn Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

Where Olive Trees Weep

Maral Quttieneh

Zaya Benazzo

Maurizio Benazzo

Ashira Darwish

Finley MacNeil

Caroline Campbell

Nickoloz Kachibaia

Yasen Stoev

Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We witness Dr. Gabor Maté offering trauma-healing work for a group of women who have been tortured in Israeli prisons. Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives. This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

Documentary

This film will be captioned in English. Masks are not required, but encouraged. First Unitarian is not ADA compliant. Our historic 1844 church was not built to suit people with mobility issues. In recent years we have added a wheel chair lift that provides access to the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings, but bathroom access continues to be limited to people with at least some ability to climb stairs. If you plan to attend services or events at First Unitarian, and you want more information, please call the office at 718-624-5466 or contact information@fuub.org.

The church is easily reached by subway, F train to Jay Street,  A to High Street,  4, 5 and R to Borough Hall and 2, 3 to Clark Street.  There is generally street parking on Sundays, but leave enough travel time to find a spot.  You do not need to feed the meters on Sundays.