The documentary film, The Narrow Bridge, by Australian psychologist and film-maker Esther Takac has been hailed as a thought-provoking and challenging exploration of the power of forgiveness and compassion in the face of unimaginable suffering, following a private screening for members of the Good Samaritan community.

By Debra Vermeer

The film tells the story of Bushra, Rami, Meytal and Bassam – four people who lost a child or parent in the violence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It follows their paths from devastating trauma to courageous activism as they transform their grief into a bridge for reconciliation.

Each of the four belong to a grassroots movement known as ‘Israeli Palestinian Bereaved Families’ who, despite fierce political and family opposition, stand side-by-side to end the violence and build a future based on dignity and equality.

The screening of the documentary for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Oblates, staff and friends, took place on 17 July at the Congregational Centre in Glebe.

The afternoon included Esther’s introduction to the documentary, which she delivered via livestream, as well as a question-and-answer session at the film’s conclusion.

In her words of introduction, Esther said it was an honour to share the film with the Good Samaritan community.

“I want to acknowledge the difficult time that we’re living in, the sense of being overwhelmed that we may feel with the toxic use of language, the misinformation and disinformation, the lack of nuance and complexity, the lack of compassion, which often lead to intolerance, negative stereotyping, and the current breakdown of social cohesion, all of which are affecting multicultural Australia,” she said.

“We live in a world of social media where the voices and the views of people who are often less informed are amplified and drown out the voices of people who have deep knowledge and lived experience.

“I feel it’s really important to hear these voices, like those in the film, of people who are able to hear the pain of the other and find a path forward to compromise and reconciliation.”

Esther came to know Rami, Bushra, Meytal and Bassam through her experience over the past 12 years of spending a month each year working as an honourary psychologist with Israeli and Palestinian children and their families in the paediatric department at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem.

As part of that work, she developed a therapeutic program for children, ‘My Journey to Hospital Land’, which aims to break down stereotypes.

“Through my work at the hospital, I’ve seen first-hand the effects of ongoing conflict and loss, how fear and hate grow on both sides,” she said.

“But I’ve also seen what happens when an Israeli Jewish boy shares a hospital room with a Palestinian Muslim boy, which is a daily occurrence.

“I’ve seen how, in that shared intimacy of sickness and vulnerability, people get to know each other simply as human beings, and relationships change.”

Esther said the film had its genesis more than five years ago when she attended the annual Israeli Palestinian Memorial Ceremony for Victims of Conflict for the first time.

“When I went, there were people standing outside the ceremony, yelling at those of us attending, shaking their fists, cursing us as traitors,” she said.

“But once inside the ceremony it was totally different. I found a place of poetry and prayer. I heard bereaved Palestinians and Israelis tell their stories. People whose child or parent, sister or brother had been killed in the conflict shared their pain with a fierce resolve that others are spared this terrible unnecessary grief, with a determination that the conflict must end.

“During that ceremony you sensed the possibility of a different future; sombre, respectful, inspiring. You felt the pain involved in a change of heart, the hope, the healing.

“I was blown away by the courage of these people whose hearts had been broken and yet were so openhearted. But I realised few people know these stories, and they need a bigger voice. That’s why I made the film.”

The four participants in the film each have their own harrowing story to tell: Meytal, whose father was axed to death in his garden; Bassam, whose daughter was shot dead while sharing sweets with her sister; Rami, whose daughter was blown up getting books for the new school year; and Bushra, whose teenage son was killed just outside his home.

Rami’s father is a Holocaust survivor. Bassam grew up in a village near Hebron. His only contact with Israelis was the soldiers who patrolled. As a young man, Bassam thought the Holocaust was a big lie. Later, through their loss, Bassam and Rami became close friends and their families became close. Now, every year when the siren calls on Yom Hashoah, Bassam stands in respect for the millions who died in the Holocaust, including Rami’s father.

“As I followed Rami, Bushra, Meytal and Bassam, I kept seeing these people could be a model for others dealing with trauma and conflict across the world,” Esther said.

“I want The Narrow Bridge to show that it’s possible to transform the worst loss into understanding and positive activism.”

Esther said the film became the basis for the Bridge Builders Social Cohesion Program, which focuses on the importance of compassion and respect, understanding the other.

“It’s grounded in psychology, project development, community activism, and narrative craft, and hopes to provide the tools to promote empathy, healing, empowerment, and conflict resolution,” she said.

Good Samaritan Sister Elizabeth Delaney, who serves on the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Commission for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, said the film prompted her to reflect on forgiveness and the human capacity for compassion in daily life.

“Those people experienced the greatest possible suffering, to have somebody that they love so deeply die in a violent situation, and so the steps that they took towards forgiveness and reconciliation were very great indeed,” she said.

“The struggle for each of us, and what we’re called to do, is even to recognise the goodness in the other person when the sufferings are not so great, when they’re only small things, relatively, and to recognise that whatever caused another to hurt us, it could well be beyond their control, or it’s suffering that they’ve experienced somewhere, and to recognise that we have so much in common.

“Our first conversation leads to understanding that grows into friendship.”

Good Samaritan Oblate Pat O’Gorman, a member of the Good Samaritan Oblate Leadership Team, was also present for the screening of The Narrow Bridge, and said she found the film “extremely powerful and thought provoking”.

“I also found it an absolute challenge,” she said.

“Living in the Benedictine world, we often quote from the Rule about ‘Welcoming all as Christ’. It calls us to actively welcome, listen and love. But it’s easier said than done.

“We know that’s exactly what we’re meant to do – welcome the stranger, make space for the other, and not to exclude anyone – but it’s one of the hardest things we can do. Too often, I let my prejudices, my bias, my judgments, get in the way and what I’m asked to do is to let go of all of that and actually build a bridge that brings people in, that includes others and recognises their dignity.”

Pat said that in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the film challenged the barriers that people put up in order to avoid seeing “uncomfortable truths”.

“I think it challenges us to be more than just a tolerant person, but to be someone who can really try to hold space for another person’s suffering and listen to them with compassion,” she said.

For more information, visit The Narrow Bridge website.