Dancing in Jaffa (DVD), Ifc Independent Film, Documentary

After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing's power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children. Dulaine selects the most focused dancers to train for a citywide competition, pairing Palestinians with Jews, putting many of the children's and, more pointedly, their families' beliefs to the test. Exploring the complex stories of three different children who are forced to confront issues of identity, segregation and racial prejudice as they dance with their historical archenemies, Hilla Medalia's DANCING IN JAFFA is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of truth, poignancy and humor, offering a glimmer of hope in an intractable conflict.