The Very Narrow Bridge

Description

Trailer

Synopsis

Since October 7, 2023, the world has been reeling in horror, despair, and alarming polarization over the immense trauma and loss of life in Israel and Gaza. Now, more than ever, we must recognize that there is another way forward.

THE VERY NARROW BRIDGE is an eye-opening journey into the lives of Palestinian and Israeli women and men who have lost a child or parent in the conflict. Yet, instead of responding with hatred and anger, Bushra, Rami, Meytal, and Bassam are transforming their grief into a bridge for reconciliation.

The film follows their paths from devastating trauma to courageous activism. But their stories are not just personal—they are part of a controversial grassroots movement, Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families, composed of people united in grief who stand side by side to end the violence and build a future founded on dignity and equality. Despite fierce political and familial opposition, they refuse to give up, even in the face of ongoing devastation.

Bushra, Rami, Meytal, and Bassam all wish they could turn back time to before tragedy struck, yet they would never change who they have become.

Guns and violence will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We need a solution rooted in understanding the pain of the other and a commitment to compromise on both sides. The people in THE VERY NARROW BRIDGE show us how—and give us hope.

Director

Esther Takac is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and child and adult psychologist. In addition to The Very Narrow Bridge, she recently completed a suite of seven short films, which are screening as part of the Luminous exhibition at the State Library of Victoria. She is currently working on several other film projects, including a feature drama about the power of discovering one’s own story—explored through the complex relationship between a feisty psychologist and her child patient—as well as an interactive film about memory.

As an author, Esther has published three books and has received the U.S. National Jewish Book Award and the Sydney Taylor Award. As a psychologist, she is in private practice, has worked as a consultant with The Lighthouse Institute and Monash University, and provides trauma training both locally and internationally. She also consults in the pediatric department of a Jerusalem hospital and has developed My Journey to Hospital Land, a therapeutic program for Israeli and Palestinian children.