Detroit Public Television Spotlights Arab American Issues/Stories Today

posted on: Jul 29, 2014

From two PBS FRONTLINE documentaries: Losing Iraq and Syria Behind the Lines to WORLD Channel’s (DPTV Digital 56.2) special screening and live chat about the film, My So-Called Enemy, chronicling six young Palestinian and Israeli women over the course of seven years, Detroit Public Television (DPTV) will air on July 29, 2014 the stories and struggles of men and women in the Middle East and the issues facing them amidst civilian wars and religious conflicts.

“At this critical moment, it is so important for public television help our audiences gain a deeper understanding of the issues in Middle East,” said DPTV’s President & CEO, Rich Homberg. “Through our combination of national and local programs and a genuine commitment to engaging our community, we hope to help inspire an informed dialogue that goes beyond headlines and sound bites.”

Losing Iraq, a special FRONTLINE 90-minute report on the war that the U.S. left behind, will draw on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism, including more than 40 reports on the war on terror, as well as new, in-depth interviews with policymakers and military leaders, the investigative team behind such films as The Lost Year in Iraq, The Torture Question, and others, will trace the U.S. role from the 2003 invasion to the current violence—exploring how and why Iraq itself is now coming undone. This film will air at 10 p.m. ET.

This will be followed by another FRONTLINE special, Syria Behind the Lines, airing at 11:00 p.m. This film will examine the unfolding of the civil war as tens of thousands of Syrian families are destroyed in an instant; villages ripped apart by sectarian rage; and neighbors confronting neighbors across a non-man’s land of hatred, suspicion and terror. FRONTLINE’s Olly Lambert was the first Western filmmaker to spend an extended period living on both sides of Syria’s war—and to document, on camera, the realities of everyday life for rebels, government soldiers and the civilians who supported them.

While wars rage, there emerge personal struggles of individuals trying to rise above cultural and religious boundaries to connect on a deeper level. DPTV in partnership with WORLD Channel will host a special online screening and live chat for its international series, Global Voices, on Tuesday, July 29 at 1 p.m. My So-Called Enemy follows six young Palestinian and Israeli women over the course of seven years, when they met during a leadership program in the U.S. and then had to reconcile the experience of knowing and respecting their “enemies” with the realities of returning home to the Middle East.

Panelists for this film include Emmy Award-winning director Lisa Gossels and one of the film’s subjects, Gal; Arab American Stories filmmaker Alicia Sams from DPTV; and Dr. Joshua Weiss, who has trained Israeli and Palestinian leaders in negotiation and conflict resolution skills. To join the event, go to http://bit.ly/MSCEOVEE

Detroit Public TV